2539 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC
604-736-1848
128-998 Harbourside Dr., North Vancouver, BC
604-924-1847
info@thomashaas.com
Thomas Haas
Elevating European Craftsmanship
Thomas Haas brings generations of European pastry tradition to Canada’s West Coast. A fourth-generation pâtissier from Germany’s Black Forest region, Haas has built an acclaimed career around handcrafted chocolates, pastries and desserts that combine classical technique with contemporary creativity.
Based in British Columbia, he and his wife, Lisa, operate Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie, with locations in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood and North Vancouver. His creations have earned a loyal following while helping strengthen Vancouver’s reputation for exceptional artisan chocolate and pastry.
From the Black Forest to British Columbia
Chocolate and pastry have been part of Haas’s life since childhood. His great-grandfather opened Café Konditorei Haas in Aichhalden, Germany, in 1918. Haas continued the family tradition, apprenticing and working alongside accomplished chefs in Michelin-starred European restaurants before earning the title of Konditormeister, or Master Pastry Chef.
In 1995, his career brought him to Vancouver as Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel. Three years later, he moved to New York, where he served as Executive Pastry Chef and helped Daniel Boulud launch his flagship restaurant, Daniel.
Building a Distinctive Chocolate Style
Haas eventually returned to British Columbia and established a business where chocolate, pastry and hospitality could come together.
His handmade chocolates demonstrate a willingness to explore flavour while maintaining precise European technique. Current creations range from maple-infused dark chocolate caramel and Earl Grey ganache to mango coconut, butterscotch and chocolates incorporating spice, spirits and other distinctive ingredients.
The same attention to craftsmanship extends throughout the patisserie. Croissants, cakes, macarons, cookies and other pastries complement the chocolate collection, making the shops destinations for both chocolate enthusiasts and pastry lovers.
Recognition for Pastry and Chocolate Excellence
Haas’s work has attracted considerable recognition throughout his career. He was named among the Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America in 2000 and earned multiple honours at the Valrhona North American Pastry Team Championships in 2001. He was inducted into the British Columbia Restaurant Hall of Fame in 2009 and named among the Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America in 2010.
Recognition has continued closer to home. Thomas Haas Chocolates has repeatedly received honours for its chocolate, desserts and pastry, including recent Vancouver-area readers’ and restaurant awards.
Better Rather Than Bigger
Despite that success, Haas has maintained a deliberately personal approach to the business. His philosophy emphasizes becoming better rather than simply bigger, with attention given to employees, customers, community and environmental responsibility.
That outlook helps explain the enduring appeal of Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie. European tradition provides the foundation, but curiosity, personality and an unmistakable sense of fun keep the work contemporary.
Through decades of craftsmanship, Thomas Haas has become an influential figure in Canadian chocolate and pastry, carrying a family tradition that began in Germany more than a century ago into a distinctly British Columbian chapter.
Featured in the premiere Canada Edition of Chocolate Affairs Magazine.
