Chocoholics in St. Louis have some new goodies to look forward to, thanks to a chocolate boot camp attended by local chocolatiers.
Retail Confectioners International organizes the boot camp, which was held this year in Joplin, Missouri in mid-February. There were 25 people in attendance, coming from all over the world – including as far away as Ecuador.
The attendees from St. Louis were Tracy Kodner and Monica Tirre, both of whom work for Kakao Chocolate, which is located in the Maplewood district. They noted that others at the conference were involved in various aspects of chocolate. Some worked in factories, some were involved in the science of chocolate, and some, like them, made chocolate. All learned a great deal about their favorite sweet treat.
The weather presented challenges to attendees. A late-February blizzard dropped eight inches of snow on Joplin, knocking out the power. Tirre and Kodner woke up to freezing accommodations, but did not let that stop them.
Attendees learned how to make ganache, truffles and chocolate roses, among other treats. Although Kakao knows how to make truffles and ganache, the roses are something new, and may well be offered by the shop. The final day of the conference, attendees reviewed the material, discussed what they called “problem candies”, and took a quiz. They received a certificate for having attended the boot camp.
Kakao could work with experts in flyer printing to create a mailer explaining new products, which would then be distributed in the neighborhood. They could also use business card printing services to add the credit for the course to their contact information.
