A day in the life of a chocolatier
Chocolatier Barry Colenso, who has over 30 years' experience, tells us what his average day entails, and why he'll never get bored of chocolate.
What I love about being a chocolatier is that no two days are the same. One day I could be creating an exclusive chocolate cake for royalty, and the next I’ll be rustling up some truffles to take to the West Bridgford market, or taste-testing some new treats for Cocoa Boutique (a luxury artisan chocolate club)! I’m not really a fan of routine, so the varied lifestyle suits me perfectly.
I began working with chocolate around 30 years ago after having been a Chef Patissier for a number of years before that. I was drawn to the flexibility of chocolate and the fact that you can be so creative with it. So, after working as the Master Chocolatier for a very well-known brand for 27 years, I decided to go it alone, dedicating my life to perfecting classic combinations, traditional techniques (as well as inventing a few new ones), and making the tastiest chocolate possible.
In the morning
My day starts bright and early at around 6.30am and the first thought I have is normally about chocolate. After I grab myself a mug of black coffee I sit at the computer for an hour or two answering emails and working through admin, then I head to my bespoke chocolate kitchen to start with the fun stuff.
I spend most of my morning coming up with new chocolate ideas for Cocoa Boutique, such as flavour combinations and chocolate designs, and then I’ll taste-test some delicious origin chocolate. Before long, the craving to get ‘tempering’ kicks in, so I nip down to the cellar and grab myself a bucket or two of high quality couverture chocolate.
I don’t have a team of chocolatiers around me as my chocolate kitchen is at home, so everything is nice and relaxed (and I don’t have far to travel!). Occasionally I have a visitor or two popping in to taste a new creation, or to ask me to make something special, but ultimately I throw myself into the world of chocolate and creativity.
Tempering time
The afternoon is dedicated to mixing and inventing – my favourite part! This is the time of day that I let my imagination run wild. The key to great chocolate is the tempering process, so I take my time heating and cooling the chocolate to the exact temperatures needed for that perfect snap, silky smooth texture, and dazzling shine.
Then I mould the chocolate, fill it, taste it and inspect it to make sure it’s faultless.
At the moment I’m finishing off 800 luxury Easter eggs for Cocoa Boutique along with 6,400 truffles to go with them! It may sound daunting to some, but this is what I enjoy, plus I get to munch any truffles, caramels or pralines that aren’t perfect.
The clean up
If I’m honest, my day never really ends. I try to make a point of finishing when it’s dinnertime in the household, but my mind is always on chocolate. I have been known to work well into the night, just to make sure that whatever it is I’m working on is perfect.
I’ve been asked in the past if I find chocolate tedious sometimes; and my answer was, and always will be, a resounding no.
When you see the world in chocolate as I do, you realise that there are no limits! That’s what I adore about being a chocolatier. I enjoy pushing design boundaries, coming up with revolutionary techniques, and sharing edible works of art with everyone who wants to try them.
It’s tough working in this industry when there are so many people with the same ambitions, but when you see people enjoy your creations – it’s well worth it.
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