From Pastry Chef to Chocolatier
by Kim Rothrock and David Kee
Careers in specialty food are often ‘works in process’—sometimes even leading from a somebody else’s pastry kitchen to your own chocolate shop! Four extraordinary Artisan Chocolatiers shared their lessons learned along the way—from the culinary world to highly successful and self-owned chocolate confectionery companies.
Oliver Kita is the owner of Oliver Kita Fine Confections and Oliver Kita Fine Catering—both located in Rhinebeck, New York. Kim sat down with Oliver after a by-invitation-only Valrhona chocolate tasting.
KR: What has been your career path that has led you to where you are today?
OK: I’ve always been a pastry chef in my former restaurant and my current catering business. I worked with chocolate in pastry but I wanted to move on to next level—bon bons.KR: Was chocolate-making your favorite part of your previous job, and did you really have time for it?
OK: Yes it was—always. I made it a priority—I was known for chocolate desserts, which are generally so poorly executed in upstate New York.KR: What was the major factor in deciding to open your own chocolate shop?
OK: The food network with Jacques Torres and people becoming more aware of fine chocolate. I want to thank them for making it possible for Oliver to introduce ganache in upstate New York.KR: Who in particular influenced you the most to make the jump?
OK: Gaston Lenotre. I had his book. And I thought “that’s where I’m going to go to learn this”. So I went to the Le Notre school in France.KR: What were the biggest challenges in your launch?
OK: Not being able to anticipate demand for product, which creates a production and inventory management nightmare—because it’s all fresh—a 4 to 6 week shelf life. At first, I was either giving product away or running out.KR: What habits you had in the pastry shop needed changing the most?
OK: Change temperature control and separate egg products from chocolate.KR: Was the financing of your operation on your own or did you have help?
OK: On my own! I don’t like people telling me what to do with my money…KR: To whom do you sell your product?
OK: Directly to consumers through my website and my shop—just now entering into wholesale—through museum shops under my “handmade in the Hudson valley” label.KR: What do you do about the shelf-life issue?
OK: I tell my customers 4 weeks, and to keep the chocolates at room temp in cool dry place—NOT in a refrigerator—so that they can TASTE the chocolate.KR: What regrets do you already have and what can you do about it?
OK: My biggest would be not asking more questions from competitors—being too polite. It’s a tiny world. Asking questions would have helped with sourcing ingredients and supplies.KR: What does your competition look like?
OK: Small to medium size Artisan manufacturers.KR: Retail or wholesale?
OK: My own retail shop—I’m just now starting to sell into other retail shops.KR: What are your most profitable and your favorite chocolates?
OK: My most profitable are ‘three nuns’ or ‘three priests’—enrobed caramelized hazelnuts or almonds—the labor cost is lower.
My favorite is the palet de opium, a combination of three ingredients into dark ganache. Exciting, sensual, transcendent flavors as you taste it. Not for everyone due to the smoky tea flavor. Ganaches have to be framed, chabloned, cut, enrobed and decorated—so the labor cost is quite high.KR: What’s next?
OK: Launching a line or organic chocolate products, “hand made in Hudson Valley”. NO one is doing what I do in this area (Rhinebeck). My nearest competition is in the Berkshires. You can’t cut corners on the quality of the chocolate (couverture)—you’ll lose your quality customers who are looking for that sensory experience that they are only going to get from that level of chocolate.
Fritz Knipschildt is the owner of Knipschildt Chocolatier and Chocopologie Café in Norwalk, Connecticut. Kim met up with him in Soho in NYC—on the run after checking in on his new single origin and seasonal pumpkin truffle collections at Dean & DeLuca.
KR: What has been your career path that has led you to where you are today?
FK: A lot of hard work. It really is the one thing you must do to be successful. ‘Okay’ can never be good enough…KR: Was chocolate-making your favorite part of your previous job, and did you really have time for it?
FK: In Denmark, training to be a Chef or Pastry Chef is combined—it’s 4 years of training. I worked in small French restaurants that made all of their own petits fours—and of course, you taste whatever you are making. So I developed a ‘taste’ for fine chocolate and desserts. I was also fortunate enough to be working during the 80’s in Europe when the whole high cacao content and super-premium couverture trend began—with Valrhona and Michel Cluizel chocolate. And then when I came to the US in the mid 90’s, it was really exciting because the whole high end chocolate thing had begun here, too.KR: What was the major factor in deciding to open your own chocolate shop?
FK: Originally I had a wholesale-only business, which became very successful. But I missed cooking with sweet and savory ingredients and flavors, and I missed the immediacy of customer feedback. I use my retail shop/café as a lab to test new flavors and concepts.KR: Who in particular influenced you the most to make the jump?
FK: Chef Humberto at the Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen. He promised me a place to stay if I worked for him—I ended up living in a tent! But he gave me a lot of autonomy. I feel like you need to give the people who work with you chances, and that you must delegate in order to grow.KR: What were the biggest challenges in your launch?
FK: Chocopologie menus. The ‘creative’ dishes didn’t sell well. The ‘classic’ dishes did.KR: What habits you had in the pastry shop needed changing the most?
FK: We really didn’t have to change any habits. I built the Chocopologie kitchen to accommodate everything.KR: Was the financing of your operation on your own or did you have help?
FK: Because I had a track record as a manufacturer to wholesale, I was able to get bank financing on my own.KR: To whom do you sell your product?
FK: Depends on the product. I have high end distributors as wholesale customers. In retail, the classic truffles sell mostly to males 40-65. The signature collection sells mostly to metrosexuals. We call our clear windowed boxes ‘suburb’ boxes, because that’s their customer.KR: What do you do about the shelf-life issue?
FK: For me there is no shelf-life issue. I pioneered selling ‘fresh’ perishable bon bons back in 97 when the 18 month Godiva shelf life was a standard. My product has a 3 month shelf life because it’s a ‘fresh’ product.KR: What regrets do you already have and what can you do about it?
FK: Not giving myself more free time. Now I do delegate. And I make time to do yoga. I’ve taught myself to be more productive in a shorter amount of time.KR: What does your competition look like?
FK: I have very few competitors because the nature of my product is perishable and requires the skill of a chocolatier to produce.KR: Retail or wholesale, and why?
FK: Retail or wholesale—they would be artisan chocolatiers who produce bon bons by hand with all natural ingredients.KR: What are your most profitable and your favorite chocolates?
FK: The most profitable is a cornflake cluster. My personal favorite is the caramel with Hawaiian sea salt.KR: What’s next?
FK: Opening up more Chocopologie Cafes!
Please check out www.oliverkita.com and www.knipschildt.com to see everything that these dedicated chocolatiers produce. They will also both be participating in the New York Chocolate Show in November—www.chocolateshow.com.
Norman Love is a name well-known throughout the world. As the corporate pastry chef for Ritz-Carlton Hotels and co-founder of the National & International Pastry Team Competition, Norman’s respect as a pastry chef is unquestioned. In October 2001 he founded, with his wife Mary, Norman Love Confections to create and distribute ultra-premium, handcrafted chocolates. Based in Fort Myers, Fla., the corporate headquarters is in a single facility, where production and retail operations are located. The chocolates, as well as a selection of fine pastries, are produced fresh daily.
- What has been your career path that has led you to where you are today?
I spent two years in Southern France, learning the craft of pastry-making from artisans who shaped their confections in a small pastry shop. The experience and skills became the foundation for my career with The Ritz-Carlton, where I served as executive pastry chef for two luxury resorts – The Ritz-Carlton, Naples in Florida, and The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis in Missouri.
At age 30, I was appointed to The Ritz-Carlton’s position of corporate executive pastry chef to head the company’s international corps of pastry chefs. During my 13 years in the position, I also opened hotel and resort pastry kitchens worldwide in such diverse locales as Boston, Dubai and Bali.
Chocolatier and Pastry Art and Design magazine named me one of the country’s top 10 pastry chefs in 1996 and 1997. In 1999, I led the U.S. team to a bronze medal in the biennial Coup du Monde de la Patisserie (World Cup of Pastry) competition in Lyons, France, which featured the top pastry chefs from 18 nations.
I was among 18 chefs chosen to make a birthday cake at the 150th Smithsonian Anniversary Celebration in Washington, D.C., and one of only 26 selected to appear on the 39-part series “Baking with Julia,” which aired on public television. I have made numerous appearances on the Discovery Channel’s “Great Chefs” series and my desserts have graced the covers of Art Culinaire, Bakery Magazine and other prominent culinary publications. I was also co-founder of the National Pastry Team Championship.
In 2001, I left the corporate world and entered into private enterprise, and founded Norman Love Confections (formerly Ganache Chocolates).
- Was chocolate-making your favorite part of your previous job, and did you really have time for it?
Yes. Americans love chocolate. It’s always my intention to accentuate my pastries with chocolate creations.
- What was the major factor in deciding to open your own chocolate shop?
It was an easy decision. For 30 years pastries were my profession; chocolate was, and is, my passion.
- Who in particular influenced you the most to make the jump?
My family. I traveled a great deal in my previous role at The Ritz-Carlton, so the desire to stay home with my wife and children influenced me to start my business.
- What were the biggest challenges in your launch?
My colleagues in the industry thought I was crazy opening a chocolate salon in the heat and humidity of Southwest Florida. I was challenged to develop an effective way to ship my product safely to hotels, resorts, casinos and all my wholesale customers.
- What habits you had in the pastry shop needed changing the most?
I have always been the type of professional that needed to be better today than yesterday.
- Was the financing of your operation on your own or did you have help?
Financing was provided by our life savings, and with support from our strong network of close friends.
- To who do you sell your product?
Wholesale to the hospitality industry and through chocolate suppliers/distributors throughout the country, and retail to customers at my Chocolate Salon and via my Web site, www.normanloveconfections.com.
- What do you do about the shelf-life issue?
To ensure the freshest product available, we manufacture chocolates three to four times a week to ensure our confections are only days old. Handmade and preservative free, they are never refrigerated or frozen.
- What regrets do you already have and what can you do about it?
Not doing it sooner.
- What does your competition look like?
My competition is good – it keeps me inspired.
- Retail or wholesale, and why?
Both, because it’s not good to put all your “eggs in one basket.”
- What are your most profitable and your favorite chocolates?
Americans are in love with chocolate, raspberry and flavors that take them back to their childhood. Norman Love Confections focuses on easily identified, singular flavors that are perfectly executed.
- What’s next?
More retail locations.
Mark Ainsworth has worked as pastry chef in the Ritz-Carlton hotels among others, and finally made the move to chocolatier and with a partner, Shekoh Moossavi created PastrySmart and the brand Shokolaat. Each selection is hand-crafted in very small batches using California organic dairy ingredients, to ensure the unique flavor and texture of each piece. Our Chocolatier Mark Ainsworth and his team are ever committed towards the quality and perfection of our product.
- What has been your career path that has led you to where you are today?
Well I went to Johnson & Wales University for Pastry Arts. I spent some time working in Atlantic City for Thomas Vaccaro. Learned a great deal there and realized I wanted to do a little more refined product and less volume. I am now glad I had that large volume experience. A phone call to him later and I was off to work for Lawrence McFadden and James Mullaney at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island. I think I really got the biggest part of my training there. The quality was high and there certianally was a demand for excellence. I was there for about 4 months and James Mullaney left and I was given his position. I stayed for another 4 years as pastry chef. I then transferred to San Francisco Ritz-Carlton and spent 1 year in my first city hotel. I learned I preferred to work in resort environment. I got a chance with my wife to open our own small restaurant on the little money we could get together. After 1 ½ years I went to work for pebble beach resorts. My wife stayed and ran the restaurant for another 1 ½ years until we sold it. I was at Pebble Beach for 2 years. I truly enjoyed that position……..the people and the organization were wonderful to work for. I left Pebble Beach to start Pastry Smart LLC, and Shokolaat LLC. Pastry Smart LLC is our manufacturing and wholesale company and Shokolaat LL is our Retail division.
- Was chocolate-making your favorite part of your previous job, and did you really have time for it?
To be quite honest it has always been my dream to make candies. I have never had time to in my career to focus fully on just making chocolates. I have been only able to do small productions for vip events.
- What was the major factor in deciding to open your own chocolate shop?
It was part of our business model that our retail focuses heavily on the sale of confectionery type products as well as, Bread, pastries. Our goal was to create a comfortable neighborhood gathering place where people could come to enjoy very high quality pastries made form mostly organic sourced ingredients.
- Who in particular influenced you the most to make the jump?
My business investor/partner was the one who helped us realize the full potential of our business plan we had been working on for a few years. We were really thinking small and not looking at how to properly structure the business assets. He laughingly said “funny thing about chefs…….you know how to create great food and work hard, ……..but you don’t know diddley about running a business”……”that’s where I come in”.
- What were the biggest challenges in your launch?
Staffing……Staffing…..Staffing! We have had a few 27 hour days.
- What habits you had in the pastry shop needed changing the most?
Our production plant is 22,000 sqft and I have about 13 people currently working for us. I project it will be 25-30 by June 2008. I really had to be able to remove myself more from daily operations and spend more time in R&D and making distributing relationships. I was fortunate to find two dedicated and capable assistants to help run operations.
- Was the financing of your operation on your own or did you have help?
Our business partner took care of rounding up the capital for the venture.
Our business is multi faceted we also have real estate involved as well.
- To whom do you sell your product?
Different 4 and 5 star hotels arcoss the country. Also a lot of private country clubs.
- What do you do about the shelf-life issue?
We do a couple of things to work around the shelf live issue. We use Stephan Vacuumed mixers. We use a small percentage of Sorbitol solution. We keep our wholesale packaging small to have better rotation. We also have exceptional levels of sanitation for such a large facility.
- What regrets do you already have and what can you do about it?
So far none !!!!!!!
- What does your competition look like?
Just look at the other fellas in the article. There is lots of competition and alos lots of business for everyone. Value for dollar and price point are important.
Best quality/service, best price always wins the race
. - Retail or wholesale, and why?
I prefer retail……..Higher price point for one and the other if you are in a great location people are coming to you and you not going to sell them like wholesale. Wholesale you have packaging costs, ingredient declarations, production codes, and shipping costs. Too much work for such small margins.
- What are your most profitable and your favorite chocolates? Most profitable is London Fog Lifter and my favorite is Don Juan (our version of a margerita in a bon bon). We had and still have a lot of fun coming up with crazy names.
- What’s next? The opening of the first retail store/restaurant. Slated for November 1 st 2007.
And Then our goal is to franchise retail locations in about 5 to 7 years.