Chocolatier
Ecole Chocolat - Chocolate Making School

"The comments you all three instructors

give to the assignments are thoughtful and hit just the point. I had to start thinking that you had installed a camera into my kitchen to be able to give such appropriate judgments."

- Randy, Sept 09 Graduate

Learn to Make Chocolate Candy with Molds

"This was an outstanding class!

The instructors were supportive, only an email away, very encouraging, and full of helpful tips and information. I very much enjoyed it and am looking forward to taking another course. "

- Pamela, Sept 08 Graduate

"The class was very well organized and the instructors were available any time that I needed them.

I learned more about chocolate than I realized I would."

- Gretchen, Jan 08 Graduate

"The instructors are

very knowledgeable and experienced and did a great job in developing the program curriculum. They are dedicated to the success of their students! "

- Karen, Sept 07 Graduate

"I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent in this class.

Although I have worked with chocolate for years, I have never worked with the kinds of chocolate this class has offered. It has given me new incite in to the world of chocolate and where my business can go. I am looking forward with great anticipation to adding chocolate candy and desserts to my list of confections. I thank you all for your time and commitment to your students. With much gratitude and appreciation."

- Kathleen, April 06 Graduate

"This is a fabulous program!

Excellent value for the information and techniques presented. The online format was easy to use and flexible for someone with a full schedule."

- Tricia, April 05 Graduate

more testimonials

Pam Williams, Chocolatier and Educator

It was very important to us that our instructors are working professionals as well as educators. They bring practical, real world experience to the programs. That is also why our Master programs happen "in the field" in actual chocolate production facilities.

Learn from Chocolatiers
Next Chocolate Course

Chocolate Making From the Bean
Sept 10 - Nov 5, 2010
Professional Chocolatier Program
January 7 - April 8, 2011

Pam Williams

I founded au Chocolat in 1981, after moving from California and spent 10 years as Master Chocolatier. au Chocolat started as a chocolate making retail and wholesale business (the present owners are now only wholesale) in Vancouver, BC. Our specialty was gourmet chocolate truffles and we had a multitude of flavors in stock at any one time.

Pam Williams

Our gourmet chocolate truffles were hand-made. We then either rolled them in a traditional dry coating such as cocoa or nuts or coated them with fine chocolate. We started out doing the chocolate dipping by hand but as sales increased we moved to an enrobing machine. The machine was a life-saver - especially during the holidays when our demand peaked.

Our other gourmet chocolate offerings were molded from solid chocolate (our signature was a chocolate duck with a jaunty bow around his neck made with a mold taken from our childhood favorite - a yellow rubber ducky), panned chocolate items such as chocolate covered espresso beans and our perennial favorite - chocolate mousse cake. In the summer we would include ice cream products as well. When time came to semi retire from the day-to-day chocolate making business, I was able to sell to a friend-of-a-friend who loved the chocolate candy making business as much as I did.

During that time I also taught chocolate making programs and courses on starting a business for many different organizations. Also, I have written numerous articles on chocolate and chocolate candy making. See some of these articles at Sally's Place.

I wrote my first cookbook, Oh Truffles by au Chocolat and while the book is now out of print, it was a Best Selling Cookbook with its second printing. My goal with this cookbook was to teach home cooks how to work with chocolate and then give them lots of different types of chocolate recipes to try.

Besides becoming proficient in working with chocolate for the obvious business considerations, I always encourage creativity and joy in the chocolate making process itself. Working with chocolate can be a very sensuous experience. Early chocolatiers used their hands to temper the chocolate and coat the truffles or sugar fillings - some companies still do. Like kneading bread, successful technique becomes one of "feel". The chocolatier knows just when the chocolate mass is ready to use.

I wish you much success in your endeavors and will be delighted if our programs can be of help in getting you where you want to go in an industry that is my passion.

Pam Williams

 

our programs Professional Chocolatier Program
Chocolate Making from the Bean Program
Quality Assurance & Keeping Limits Program
Master Chocolate Programs

Over the years I found that chocolate lovers, whether they consider themselves gourmet cooks or not, have an endless curiosity about chocolate and how it is made.

Joanne Mogridge
Heidi Hudspith Heidi Hudspith, Chocolate Production Specialist
 
Rachel Sawatzky Rachel Sawatzky, CocoaNymph Chocolates & Confections
 
Joanne Mogridge Joanne Mogridge, CocoaWest Chocolatier
 
Chef Philippe Givre Chef Philippe Givre, Valrhona Ecole du Grand Chocolat
 
Philippe Vancayseele Chef Philippe Vancayseele, Callebaut Academy
 
Paul DeBondt Paul DeBondt, Debondt Cioccolato
 
William R. Dantzer William R. Dantzer Ph.D. (BD) , Independent Food Science Consultant
Chocolatier Resources
Our Celebration of Chocolate Shops
Find a chocolate shop near you
Our Favorite Chocolate Books
Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner  by The Culinary Institute of America

Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner
by The Culinary Institute of America

more books on chocolate

Chocolate News

CLICK HERE to go to our News page where we list current news from the chocolate industry, events and health related news.

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Professional Chocolate Tempering Machine Forum
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2023 West 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC 1-604-484-1872 Canada or 1-213-291-8309 US