How to Become a Chocolatier

If chocolate is your passion and you don't mind hard work, challenge and stiff competition, consider becoming a chocolatier. To become one takes dedication and persistence and the ability to work independently. Having delicious and innovative recipes is a great beginning.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Develop a plan. Decide what cooking education is needed. You can enroll in culinary school to sharpen your overall skills. However, these are usually expensive and not feasible. If this is not for you, look for cooking courses at the local community college. Check with various established chocolatiers to see if any of them offer internships.
2. Fine tune your recipes at home before launching your business. Try them out on family and friends and utilize their feedback. Choose the best ones and perfect them. Taste and appearance are of the utmost importance.
3. Check with the health department to see what licensing is needed before producing and marketing your creations. You must follow all guidelines. You don't want to be shut down before you sell your first item.
4. Cut back on set-up costs by checking into gently used equipment. Try selling your first products at craft shows or farmer's markets. If the results are successful, consider jumping into a bigger arena.
5. Make sure before taking orders that you can fulfill them. Making one batch of your favorite recipe is fun, but making one hundred may put you over the edge. Have a plan for hiring extra help when it becomes necessary. Realize that long hours are inevitable at first.