F E A T U R E
The Sweet Life of the
Chocolatier
by Leah Small
hocolate Cravings is the apropos name of Cathy Churcher’s
cacao pods from Puerto Rico to have a tasting. Her background in adult education
C
chocolate shop. It smells of chocolate: pungent, warm, and
contributes to her belief, “If people are educated to the differences in chocolate, they
rich. This is the perfect prelude to delicious taste. At six in the
will understand why good chocolate costs more and will want to invest in it.”
morning Cathy dons her double-breasted chef’s coat to make
Cathy Churcher is a voracious learner, and has taken classes from forces in the
tasty confections with all-natural ingredients, including barks
chocolate world such as Belgian chocolatier Jean Pierre Rebeau and Chantelle Cody
with clever dark chocolate pairings like lime zest and sea salt,
of Ro Co Co’s and Melt in London. She has also studied at the Notter School of
cardamom and ginger, hazelnut and raspberry, rose and fig. This is just a few
Pastry Arts and takes classes at the University of Richmond, “just to keep up.” Cathy
of a long list that includes Guinness Brownies, habanero and pineapple, and
was inspired by touring European chocolate shops in places such as Brugge, Belguim,
chocolate-chocolate. The wisdom of the Oscar Wilde adage, “The only way
the chocolate capital, where there’s a chocolatier on every corner. She has also
to get rid of temptation is to yield to it,” became apparent, or at least was
sampled confections from Tuscany’s “Chocolate Valley,” Rome, and Florence. She has
reasonably validated.
reproduced European delights such as Italian chocolate salami (no meat involved) and
Cathy is frequently speckled with chocolate, but according to her son, her
a chocolate with corn flakes recipe from Normandy.
job isn’t quite dirty enough to be on Mike Rowe’s Dirty Jobs. Being covered in
“Chocolatiers are very giving and non territorial people,” Cathy says about her
chocolaty goodness would be great to most people. “Chocolatier” would seem
experiences. They graciously opened their kitchens and showed her everything short
to be an occupation that would top a child’s what-I want-to-do-when-I-grow-up
of their recipes. Language barriers involved a lot of animated pointing on her part, but
list, right between ballerina and astronaut. Since it’s definitely not listed in the
there was camaraderie between people who enjoyed the same art.
classifieds of the adult world (we wish), how did Cathy get the opportunity?
She may draw a lot of influence from Europe, but this chocolatier is original. “I’m a
She can attest to the fact that some fortunate beginnings are inspired by
frustrated artist,” she says about her confectionary style. “I don’t do a lot of the designs
unfortunate loses. “I had lost my brother, sister, mother, and father and realized
and molded pieces that other chocolatiers do.” However, this does not denote a lack
that if this was something I wanted to do I needed to do it.” So she left a well-
of creativity. Her homey barks with their creative combinations are what she’s known
paying job as Director of Admissions at Bon Secours School of Nursing. What
for.
she planned to do was a huge step away from her previous occupations in the
It sounds glamorous doesn’t it? However, she claims, “There are times at two
fields of gerontology and anthropology.
in the morning when I think that if I have to tie another ribbon I’ll just shoot myself.”
But, inquiring minds would like to know, where does the chocolate come in?
Alright, maybe glamour doesn’t have constancy but she adds, “The joy that people
Fifteen years ago, while working at the Center for Aging, she and a friend began
get makes it worth it. It makes [me] feel good to know that people appreciate a quality
making holiday truffles for friends and family. They noticed that people wanted
product.”
to buy them as presents. Cathy decided to go to school to pursue a passion that
Besides the fact that owning a business is time consuming, there have been many
fused her love for confections with the love of travel. She improved her talents
other challenges. Starting a business in a recession is no small deed. Before she had
with an intensive online class through Eco Chocolat based out of Vancouver.
a commercial kitchen of her own, she rented one at Lavender Fields farm. Cathy also
The program also gave her the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica, where she
started selling at farmers markets to increase her clientele. At the time she was still
saw chocolate growing from the pod. The trip gave her an appreciation of
working full time, making chocolate, and spending her weekends at the markets. The
the hand harvesting and time it takes to “get it to where [she] sees it,” and the
stressful endeavor would have been impossible without the help of her husband and
“different varieties of cacao.” Currently Cathy is planning on ordering some
son. “It’s a family business,” she says in appreciation of their efforts. “We wanted to

FEBRUARY 2010
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