This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Chef Ursula (@ursulaxvii on Instagram) of Disset Chocolate. A New York City native with family roots in Catalonia, Ursula spent most of her summers in Barcelona, where she embarked on any baking project she could find. After college, she decided to pursue formal training as a pastry chef. While attending The French Pastry School in Chicago, Ursula staged at Blackbird restaurant. Upon graduating, she returned to New York City for an externship at Per Se, making petite fours, bonbons, caramels, pate de fruits, and macarons. After various stages, including at The Modern, Grace, and NoMad, Ursula continued her training in Europe under chefs Albert Adria, Oriol Balaguer, and Jordi Ferrer, honing her gastronomic techniques and delving deep into chocolate. Her inspiration to use fresh, local ingredients, extracts, and essences came while heading the Pastry team at the fine-dining farm-to-table restaurant Ca L’Enric in Spain’s Catalonia region. Soon after found herself at the North Fork Table & Inn, working with chef Claudia Fleming, who encouraged her to start her own line of chocolates. Ursula launched Disset Chocolate in November 2020. Disset means “Seventeen” in Catalan, Ursula’s native language and XVII (Seventeen) is her second name. (And because we know you’re wondering, the number is associated with significant family dates, from birthdays to weddings, and is a favorite of her economist father).<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Ursula XVII
Michael’s Chocolates began in 2015 as a hobby while Michael was recovering from foot surgery. After a year off work due to the surgery, he decided to leave his previous career in Fine Dining, Michelin starred restaurants as a Certified Sommelier and server. He continued to practice and began taking classes specific to the chocolatier craft. He has trained and been mentored by some of the most well-respected and successful people in the chocolate industry. In 2017, Michael and his husband and business partner officially launched Michael’s Chocolates with great success, winning the coveted Good Food Award for their Lemon Burst Bonbon. Current production is located in a shared commercial kitchen in South San Francisco.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Michael Benner
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Tracy Taylor of Black Butterfly. Tracy is the owner\/chocolatier of Black Butterfly – artisan chocolates in Prescott AZ. She refers to herself as the accidental chocolatier, not having hailed from a culinary background. Tracy spent 20 years in the Telecom Industry ending her career as a circuit design engineer after the company she worked for went bankrupt. This was followed by an 8-year stint as a drive examiner for the State of Nevada Motor Vehicle Department in Las Vegas NV during which time she caught a glimpse into her future when a friend introduced her to Chef Paul of Chef Rubber and she purchased her first Jean Pierre Wybauw book. Upon relocating to Naples Florida in 2011 and tired of the corporate world, Tracy decided to completely immerse herself in the world of chocolate and completed a professional chocolatier program, and started her own business, “Once Upon A Bean”. She has since furthered her chocolate education thru classes with the team at Norman Love Confections; as well as other chocolatier masters like Melissa Coppel; Nicolas Botomisy; and Luis Amado. Tracy opened her first brick-and-mortar location in 2017 when she relocated to Prescott, at which time she also decided to rebrand the business as well. At Black Butterfly Artisan Chocolates, Tracy creates molded and hand-dipped bonbons; mendiants; mendiant bars, and barks created from a single origin, fair-trade Venezuelan cacao.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Tracy Taylor
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Tom Sciascia of Sciascia Confections. Like many of our other guests, before Tom began his journey with chocolate and starting Sciascia Confections, he had a career in a very different field – medical illustration and graphic design. After teaching himself the fine art of chocolate, he began making truffles for his design clients during the holiday season, and the rest is history. Today, Sciascia Confections creates a wide array of gluten-free confections, from artisan chocolate truffles, molded bonbons, inclusion bars, baked confections, to a rainbow of French macarons for two locations along the Delaware River, one in New Jersey and the other in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Tom Sciascia
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Jessica Washburn of Bliss Chocolatier. Jessica came to chocolate in a decidedly nonlinear way, entering college as a chemistry major, leaving with a degree in art history, and then becoming a portrait photographer. After her move to the Kansas City area, Jessica completed a professional chocolatier program and pursued further training with chocolatiers such as Melissa Coppel, Ramon Morato, Kriss Harvey, Andres Lara, Nicolas Botomisy, and Christopher Elbow. Jessica opened Bliss Chocolatier with her mother in December of 2020. At Bliss, Jessica creates molded and enrobed bonbons, inclusion bars, a wide variety of panned items, and other confections.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Jessica Washburn
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Scott Breazeale and Joe Nader of Guilt Chocolates Guilt Chocolates is an artisanal chocolate company based in Detroit, Mi. specializing in hand-rolled truffles, hand-painted encased bon bons, and specialty bars. In addition, they also operate a Performance Nutrition company, Hardcore Meals, that caters to professional athletes (NHL, MLB, and NFL) as well 20+ Metro Detroit gyms.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Scott Breazeale and Joe Nader
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Albert Daniel of Albert’s Petite Sweets Albert has been a cake pop artist for the past nine years but started working with tempered chocolates just a year ago. Prior, he was a personal trainer of 14 years but left the fitness industry to pursue his passion for baking and now confections. 5 years ago, he was almost homeless staying at a friend’s house in search of growing his business. Now it is his full-time career, and he has created desserts for Disney, Netflix, and Marvel.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Albert Daniel
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Michelle Novosel of Pizzelle’s Confections in Huntsville, Alabama. Making chocolate has been her lifelong dream and after many years in the culinary industry, graduating from culinary school in 2009, and receiving her Professional Chocolatier Certificate from Ecole Chocolat, she and her sister opened their shop in 2013. Pizzelle’s is a women-owned and operated small business; focused on creating edible art, lasting experiences for their customers, and chocolate and pastry innovation – all with a heavy side of quirkiness.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Michelle Novosel
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Lisabeth Flanagan of Finnia Chocolate and Cacao Lisabeth started her chocolate business just after moving to Manitoulin Island in 2008, focusing mainly on pastry and some chocolate confections. As the business grew and expanded, the product offering changed completely over to bean-to-bar chocolate. Finnia makes a range of chocolate, from creamy mint white chocolate to a selection of extreme dark chocolate bars, truffles, and some confections, all focused on extra creamy textures that remind Lisabeth of the chocolate she ate during a year spent in Europe.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Lisabeth Flanagan
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Gonzo Jimenez. At the age of 17, Gonzo started working in restaurants and fell in love with the culinary world. He enrolled in pastry and culinary school in Buenos Aires. After completing his studies, he traveled around the country working for 5-star hotels and celebrity chefs. He is currently the co-owner and chocolatier of Miette et Chocolat, as well as one of the chefs for Republica del Cacao.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Gonzo Jimenez
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Chef Susan Notter of Felchlin. After graduation from culinary school in England Chef Notter spent 3 years in Germany developing her skills in European Pastry Arts. Switzerland followed; working for Swiss Chocolatiers in Luzerne and Zurich before joining forces with Chef Ewald Notter at the International School of Confectionery Arts teaching and demonstrating the art of pulled and blown sugar all over the world. She worked for Albert Uster Imports as their Corporate Pastry Chef for 3 years before taking the position as the Director of Pastry Arts at Culinard in Birmingham Alabama. Her last 17 years have been spent in education, teaching, and directing pastry arts programs before now joining Max Felchlin AG in the position of USA Sales Professional.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Susan Notter
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Lana Orlova Bauer. Her love story with chocolate started in 2014 when she started as a manager at the culinary academy in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Meeting with talented chefs and chocolatiers made her fall in love with the world of pastry and chocolate making…eventually, she became a pastry student herself. In 2017, she moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, and started her journey as a chocolatier. For the last year, her main focus has been on teaching and exploring new techniques and ideas.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Lana Orlova Bauer
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Tom Rogan of Goodnow Farms Chocolate. After graduating from Emerson College, Tom Rogan moved to Los Angeles to follow his passion of television production. In 2000 he founded Authentic Entertainment, which he grew into one of the largest reality production companies in the country. Authentic’s hit shows included “Ace of Cakes,” “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” “Flipping Out,” and “Best Thing I Ever Made.” In 2010 Tom sold a partial stake and began seriously exploring chocolate with his wife. They spent five years refining their craft and connecting with cacao farmers and producers at origin, and in 2015, moved to the Goodnow Farm in Sudbury, MA – starting Goodnow Farms Chocolate in November of 2016. Tom & Monica make all of their chocolate from bean to bar, visit the farms from which they source, and produce their own single-origin cocoa butter, which they use to make their chocolate. Their efforts have resulted in several awards, including four Good Food Awards and sweeping the Dark Chocolate category at the Sofi awards, winning Gold, Silver, Bronze and Best New Product in a single year.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Tom Rogan
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Kevin Straub of Creo Chocolate. At Creo, Kevin wears multiple hats, or aprons, in his case. Most days you will find him maintaining their chocolate-making equipment, organizing their online shipping, and maintaining their IT department.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Kevin Straub
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Katie Bonzer. Katie is a chocolatier along with her pastry chef husband, Jacob Bonzer. Between the two, they divide and conquer the daily tasks of running three restaurants – Towners Pastry Gwinn Michigan, Towners Chocolate Marquette Michigan, and Pizzeria Mozzi Gwinn Michigan. (Towners Pastry & Chocolate Shoppe, Pizzeria Mozzi) Breaking into the industry a decade ago with a food blog that followed travels and culinary school her passion for pastry grew. A few moves from NYC, LA, and Chicago and a few children later and the pastry duo landed in Northern Michigan where Katie devotes her time to the production of chocolate and the sciences behind it.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Katie Bonzer
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Chef Jean-Marie Auboine. Since he was 16, Auboine knew that cooking was his greatest passion. After graduating from Lycée Technique Hotelier Quercy, working at some of the most esteemed restaurants around the world, and serving as Executive Pastry Chef for Fontainebleau Miami Beach, he eventually opened Jean Marie Auboine Chocolates in February 2012. Now he specialized in unique artisan hand-made chocolates & confections supplying the most eminent hotels, casinos, resorts, Airlines, pastry shops, and retailers nationwide.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Chef Jean-Marie Auboine
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Nick Davis of One\/One Cacao. One\/One Cacao started as a dare while Nick was working as a foreign correspondent in the Caribbean for BBC News. And after setting out and spending time learning from bean to bar makers from across the globe, learning the history of Jamaica’s cocoa, and making lots and lots of chocolates started One\/One Cacao. In 2017 a year after starting One\/One Cacao, Nick won a silver and bronze at the Academy of Chocolate, and in 2020 received a Bronze. Nick says there’s a proverb in the Caribbean – “One One Cocoa full Basket” it means little by little, one bean at a time, one pod at a time you achieve your goals. Their goal is to do the same with their chocolate to make some of the best you’ll find anywhere.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Nick Davis
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Eric Case.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Eric Case
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Danny Kamkhagi of Mostly Chocolate & Catering.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Danny Kamkhagi
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Bryan Graham. Bryan is the co-founder of Fruition Chocolate. From a young age, Bryan’s passion for chocolate, pastry, and food of all kinds began as a child during visits to his grandmother’s farm – picking perfectly ripe ingredients and transforming them into pies, cakes, jams, and jellies. Fast forward to 2013 and Bryan was named Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America by Dessert Professional Magazine. He and his team continue to be recognized with a multitude of awards including Good Food Awards, Academy of Chocolate Awards, and International Chocolate Awards.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Bryan Graham
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Fritz Knipschildt of House of Knipschildt. Fritz started out on his journey to present the world with the most exquisite chocolates in his small apartment kitchen back in 1999 in Connecticut, US. As a young adventurous chef and immigrant from Denmark, his passion and dedication to constantly setting the bar for what is possible and durable in the world of fine chocolates and confectionary, has always been – and is more than ever today – a cornerstone of House of Knipschildt.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Fritz Knipschildt
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with sisters Susana and Isabel Garcia Nevett of Garcia Nevett · Chocolatier de Miami. They have been in the chocolate business for over ten years, first in their home country of Venezuela and now in Miami, their adopted city. They have trained in Paris and Chicago and both are members of the FCIA. At their flagship store in South Miami, they offer an elevated chocolate experience with award-winning chocolates and confections, as well as sophisticated, thoughtful packaging.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Susana & Isabel Garcia Nevett
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with the director of R&D at Lindt & Sprüngli USA, Nico Tomaselli. Nico began his career in Milan, Italy, where at the age of 13 he first developed an interest in the culinary arts and chocolate in a little pasty store. After completing culinary school, earning his master’s degree in food science at the University of Milan and a Lindt Academy Master in Business from the University of Castellanza LIUC in 2011, he eventually ended up at Lindt & Sprüngli USA in 2012.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Nico Tomaselli
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Selassie Atadika of Midunu Chocolates. After over a decade of travel through the various corners of Africa, chef Atadika wanted to distill the essences of the African continent and be able to offer them in Ghanaian chocolate. Each piece of artisanal handcrafted chocolate is made with Ghanaian cocoa, featuring the flavors and essences of various regions in Africa.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Selassie Atadika
Kerry Beal is a longtime friend of Tomric and is known for many things in the chocolate world, but she is likely best known as the creator of the EZtemper.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Kerry Beal
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Tom Block of Naked Chocolate. Tom started his career teaching political science with a degree in Political Science and Education, but after a while realized that teaching wasn’t fulfilling his entrepreneurial spirit. After starting several different successful chocolate ventures (including several franchise stores) across upstate New York and New Jersey, Tom eventually landed in Newtown, PA where he started Naked Chocolate.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Tom Block
For this Chocolatier Chat, we had our first returning guest. Phillip Ashley Rix is back again for a slightly different format than the usual conversations.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Discussing Flavor with Phillip Ashley Rix
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Melissa Coppel of Melissa Coppel Chocolate and Pastry School.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Melissa Coppel
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Robyn Dochterman of St. Croix Chocolate Company<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Robyn Dochterman
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Håkan Mårtensson of Håkan Chocolatier<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: Håkan Mårtensson
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with William Dean Brown of William Dean Chocolates.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Chocolatier Chat: William Dean Brown
This stream is a recording of Chef Brian Donaghy’s Instagram Live conversation with Tyler Cooke of NUG.<\/p>\n","collection":{"id":72,"title":"Interviews"}})">
Live Stream with Tyler Cooke