Chocolatier

Who is a Chocolatier?

Chocolatiers are experts who make sweets/confectionery from chocolate. Basically, they are chefs who are specialists in chocolates, as well as, can craft a wide variety of tempting, delicious chocolates. To put it plainly, chocolatiers are artists who work with chocolates for creating masterpieces, which are delicious, as well as, beautiful.

What does a Chocolatier do?

Chocolatiers create different chocolate-based products such as artistic chocolate moldings, cookies, pastries, and bonbons among others.

They have in-depth knowledge about formulations of chocolates, the history associated with chocolates, and the processes to make chocolates.

A chocolatier is dependent on a Chocolate maker to get raw materials for creating their indigenous sweet products.

What are the skills required?

A wannabe chocolatier should enroll in a good Hotel Management Institute or a reputed cookery course in India. In order to become a chocolatier, you require the following soft skills and educational qualification are required:

• Domain knowledge

• Willingness to work for long hours

• Creativity and innovation

• Patience

• Interpersonal and management skills

• A high degree of commitments

• The minimum eligibility to enroll in a good Hotel Management Institute is 12th class

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What is the Career scope for a Chocolatier in India?

In India, although management, medical, and engineering are the most popular career options, unconventional professions such as tea sommelier, wine-taster, and chocolatier are also seeing an increase in popularity in recent times. Out of all these three professions, being a chocolatier means there are tremendous opportunities in India. Here are some of the career opportunities for a chocolatier:

• Working under the guidance of an expert chocolatier initially and getting fair exposure before starting independently. Create a new brand of your own and an independent outlet.

• You can prepare for the next level of your chocolatier profession by getting a job in one of the chocolate production organizations in the country.

• Apart from the different chocolate making companies, you can also work in other places such as restaurants, 5-star hotels, and confectioneries.

• Become a chocolate taster

• Sell your own products to various bakeries, corporate houses, gift stores, etc.

How much does a Chocolatier make?

While the chocolatiers earn quite a lot in this industry if they are entrepreneurs their salary will be completely dependent on the experience level and skills if they join a chocolate making company or a store. The starting salary for a chocolatier can be in the range of INR 8,000 to iNR 10,000 every month.

However, it can also be between INR 25,000 and INR 30,000 every month if the candidate takes training from a foreign institute. The salary may go up depending on the location, type of chocolatier, and industry.

Major recruiters

Here are some of the key recruiters of chocolatiers in India:

• Aubree Le Chocolatier

• Celeste Chocolate Private Limited

• ITC Foods

• PURE TEMPTATION PVT LTD

• Barista / Brew Master

• Cadbury

• KitKat Chocolate by Nestle

• Amul Dark Chocolate

• Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Balls.

• Snickers Bar by Mars.

• Lotte Choco Pie.

• Hersheys

Top colleges/institutes offering courses on Chocolatier in India

In India, there are only a few institutes that offer specialized courses for chocolatiers. However, there are some colleges, which provide the training as a part of some other culinary courses. There are several colleges outside the country where courses pertaining to chocolate tasting and making are offered. Mainly, the beginners learn, as well as, upgrade themselves while they are on the job and during the process of assisting the more experienced chocolatiers.

Usually, the student learns about a variety of chocolates in Asian, and European countries, the history of chocolates, adding different flavors to the chocolate, cocoa beans tasting, tempering, dipping, decorating, preserving the quality of the chocolates, and molding chocolates among others.

Check out some of the top institutes where you can study to become a chocolatier in India:

• Chocolate Academy, Mumbai

• Craft and Social Development Organisation (C.S.D.O.), New Delhi

• Swisswrap Chocolate Academy, Mumbai

• Magnificence Academy of Packaging Professionals (MAPP), New Delhi

• Niral Business Institute, Mumbai

• Barry Callebaut India Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

• Chocolate Classes and Material, New Delhi

• Neeta Khurana's Cooking Classes, Delhi

• Culinary And Cake Decorating School, New Delhi

• Ruchi Gupta Cookery Classes, Delhi

What are the books and study materials available?

• The Art of the Chocolatier: From Classic Confections to Sensational Showpieces by Ewald Notter

• Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner by Peter P. Greweling

• Making Artisan Chocolates by Andrew Garrison Shotts

Interesting facts

Chef Varun Inamdar is a renowned chocolatier from India. He has also been nicknamed "The Prince of Chocolates".