From Aviation Engineer to Chocolate Maker

Paul Picton traveled around the world as an aviation engineer for many years, always returning home to his wife Marlene with new and interesting chocolate from wherever he had been. The more chocolate they tried, the more curious they became about how it was actually grown and made. When Paul's travel stopped in early 2013, he and Marlene soon finished their supply. Sitting at the kitchen island one day, the idea struck: let us make our own world-class chocolate right here in Cincinnati.

After transforming their kitchen into a chocolate factory, they invited friends over for tastings. Everyone was impressed. Demand grew. The Pictons took the leap, and Maverick Chocolate was born. What began as kitchen experiments has grown into a nationally recognized craft chocolate operation with two retail shops, a dedicated factory, and a decade of award-winning production.

Why Maverick?

Maverick: a person who takes a stand independent of others in a group. Unorthodox, unconventional, nonconformist. The name captures the Picton family's approach to both business and chocolate. In an industry dominated by industrial producers who treat cacao as a commodity and chocolate as a manufactured product, Maverick stands apart by doing things the hard way: sourcing directly, roasting themselves, making every bar from scratch, and refusing to cut corners. The flying machines on Maverick's packaging are a nod to the mavericks of flight, the people bold enough to take gravity head on, and to the family's aviation roots.

The Picton Family

Maverick Chocolate is a true family business. Paul Picton is co-owner, president, and chocolate maker. Marlene Picton is co-owner, chocolate maker, and chocolatier. Their son Ben Picton is co-owner, chocolate maker, and heads sales and marketing. Their son Scott Picton is a chocolate maker and manages equipment maintenance. This is a family that makes chocolate together every day, with the same care and passion that started in their kitchen over a decade ago.

A Decade of Growth and Awards

Maverick opened its first chocolate factory and shop at Findlay Market in Cincinnati in 2014. In 2015 they won their first Good Food Award for Fahrenheit 513 and a Silver Medal at the International Chocolate Awards for Prohibition Milk. From 2017 through 2024, multiple additional Good Food Awards followed for the Belize, Espresso, Dark Milk, Tanzania, Vietnam, Madagascar, and Prohibition Milk bars. In 2024 Maverick expanded to Covington, Kentucky, opening a new retail shop that also serves gelato. In 2025 they opened a dedicated chocolate factory in Covington, cementing their identity as a local, independent craft maker with national recognition. Nine Good Food Awards. Multiple International Chocolate Awards. Thirteen total awards and counting.

Direct Trade, Ethically Sourced

Maverick partners directly with cacao farmers and cooperatives, paying a premium to source only the finest beans while ensuring fair treatment of the people who grow them. This direct trade model is not just about ethics, though it is absolutely about ethics. It also results in better chocolate. When you buy directly from farmers who grow exceptional cacao, you have access to single-origin beans with distinct flavor profiles that industrial chocolate makers cannot replicate because they are blending commodity cacao from multiple undifferentiated sources. Every Maverick bar starts with a specific bean, from a specific place, telling a specific story.