If ever there existed a list of dream occupations, being a “chocolate ambassador” would surely rank near the top. Chef Pascal Janvier is living that dream. The owner of Fleur de Cocoa in Los Gatos recently received the title, signifying his expertise in using–not to mention his passion for–chocolate in all of its flavorful formats.
Janvier received the citation from Zurich-based Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest manufacturer of high-quality chocolate products. With sales in 26 countries totaling more than $4 billion last year, Callebaut knows its chocolate, and who qualifies as the industry’s most respected artisans. In all, 15 chefs, pastry chefs and confectioners in the U.S. were extended membership into the exclusive “Chocolate Ambassadors Club.”
“It’s a huge big privilege; I was so excited and proud when I learned I was to be included in this group,” Janvier said. “There are only about 100 of us in the world, so it’s pretty selective.”
In a press release, Parveen Werner, Barry Callebaut’s director of marketing for the Americas region said, “We have assembled some of the best talent in the field of pastry and confectionery arts to serve as ambassadors for our gourmet chocolate brands. These top chefs have transformed the industry, and are now sharing their knowledge and expertise with the next generation of culinary artisans through their work with the Chocolate Ambassadors Club.”
Janvier’s new designation caps more than 40 years in the kitchen. A native of the Normandy region in France, he says he was “born into” his lifelong role. “When I was 9 or 10 I’d go into the local pastry shop and help wash dishes or peel apples or crack eggs. That was the first time I saw Callebaut chocolate. I thought their packaging was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and I fell in love with their chocolate.”
After earning his degree and perfecting his skills as a pastry chef, Janvier left for Paris. “It was the place to go if you want to be in that trade,” he said. But after working for a time for Cacao Berry (Callebaut’s French brand), Janvier yearned for a different life-view. “France is a wonderful country, but it’s somewhat limited. People also tend to be a bit more narrow-minded and critical there. I needed a change,” Janvier explained.
He took a job managing a French pastry school in Philadelphia. Not long after his arrival, Janvier received a request to create some delicacies for a catalog shoot for a packaging company. His client contact was a native of Australia named Nicola, who has since become his wife of 15 years. The Janviers make their home near Good Samaritan Hospital, and are parents to Cedric, 7, and Claire, 5.
In 2000 Janvier struck out on his own, opening his Santa Cruz Avenue patisserie and chocolaterie (Nicola now runs all non-dessert operations). He admits that being a business owner has been an education.
“Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I signed the lease on this building,” he laughed. “I’d learned that you never make too much money from a shop like this, of course. But for some reason you always think you’re going to do better than the person who tells you these things. Fortunately I do what I do because I love it so much. It’s really not about the money.”
Often selected to coach his international peers at specialized training events, Janvier’s career has taken him all over the globe. In May, he will journey to a cocoa plantation in Africa to present demonstrations using Cacao Berry chocolate; in the past couple of years he’s overseen classes in Australia, New Zealand and across the U.S. His skills as an instructor, in fact, are one of the most important aspects of his selection as a Chocolate Ambassador.
Said Janvier, “Callebaut looks for people who speak and present and teach well. You’re often working with five or six guys you’ve never met before, so you need to arrive and be able to start working right away.”
When not packing and planning for his next excursion, Janvier oversees all pastry-making operations at his store, including the elaborate selection of wedding cakes and the holiday-themed chocolates he devises. Janvier personally crafts all of the wedding cakes, producing just one per day. “From Nov. 1 to Feb. 1 we don’t do any, because we’re so busy with the holidays,” he said. “And we don’t do any holiday chocolates in the summer, because the heat in Los Gatos is pretty hard on them. But we start up with black cats on Halloween, and do special items for Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, Easter and so forth; we have a great selection of special chocolates.”
American-born chocolate fans may not be aware that April Fool’s Day is of special significance to the French. It’s especially so to Janvier, who prepares a “fishy” selection of treats to mark the day each year. In France, it seems, locals construct and sign paper cut-outs of fish, which they then secretly affix to unsuspecting friends’ backs. When the “gotchas” are discovered, the person who pulled the prank must attempt to get back into their victims’ good graces with a gift–typically a chocolate fish.
“We make really good ones,” Janvier noted, grinning. “We love koi fish; we make them in orange and white. They always go really fast.”
So Los Gatans, take it from the ambassador: An April 1 pat on the back might just turn into a pretty sweet deal.
