A Sneak Peek at the Sweet Life: Our Event at Jacques Torres Chocolate
posted Thursday, October 6, 2011 by Rebecca Brooks
When the Brookettes first began working with Jacques Torres Chocolate, we were lucky enough to get a behind the scenes glimpse at the famous chocolatier’s production facilities on Hudson Street in Manhattan, and across the river in DUMBO, Brooklyn. To say we felt like ‘kids in a candy shop’ was an understatement! It was amazing for us to see how much skill, effort and dedication goes into making the sweet and decadent treats sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate’s five NYC locations.
When beginning a relationship with a new client, it’s always important for us to get to know their brand AND product as well as possible, so of course some taste testing was in order! From Jacques’ frozen hot chocolate, bon bons, and artisanal ice cream to his signature chocolate chip cookies, each treat was amazing and delicious!
After we returned to the office we knew we had to give the media a sneak peek (and taste!) of how Jacques creates all of his quality products, and let them know what Jacques Torres Chocolate is all about.
We invited editors and bloggers to visit Jacques Torres Chocolate’s Hudson Street store, where much of the company’s product is produced. One of Jacques’ biggest pleasures is to share his love of chocolate with everyone he meets, and this particular store is no exception. The store was actually designed in the shape of a cacao bean, and is surrounded by windows, giving its customers a glimpse into the factory, where the chocolates they are buying were actually created.
When the media arrived, we lead them into the back, and showed them some of Jacques’ holiday products. They were also invited to enjoy fresh, homemade croissants and pain au chocolat, made by Jacques himself. Jacques is not only a famous chocolatier, but an accomplished pastry chef, who was once Executive Pastry Chef at Le Cirque here in NYC. Once they finished breakfast, everyone donned a hairnet and jumped in to their first chocolate lesson!
At our first station, Ken, Jacques Torres Chocolate’s co-founder and head chef at DUMBO, showed everyone how to create chocolate bark, and chocolate-covered cornflake clusters. Although Jacques’ chocolate gives these sweet treats that extra punch, both recipes are quite easy to make, and many of our guests said they were inspired to try making them at home. Ken also showed us how chocolate covered orange peels are produced, using a machine that is reminiscent of I Love Lucy’s brief career as a chocolatier.
Next, we visited Christophe, who is Executive Chef of Jacques Torres Chocolate’s Hudson Street location. Christophe introduced everyone to the process of creating Jacques’ signature ‘Bean to Bar’ chocolate bar, which is entirely produced on-site, starting with small cocao bean nibs. Christophe explained each part of the process, and showed our guests how each machine contributes to the final product. We even got a chance to mold and wrap the chocolate bars, which requires quick reflexes!
At our third and final station, the media was able to learn some chocolate-making secrets from Jacques Torres himself. The Hudson Street store has already begun preparing for the Halloween season, and in the factory’s ‘cold room’ we invited each guest to create their own spook-tacular molded chocolate. From the chocolatier’s signature ‘Jacques’ O’ Lantern, to skeletons and haunted houses, every person used their own artistic genius to design their mold.
When the event was over, each person took home the chocolates they created. Chocolate tastes a little sweeter when you’ve made it yourself! Our guests shared their behind the scenes tour with their followers on Twitter, and even blogged about the event the next day. Check out these posts on PopSugar, SeeJaneFly and Food & Wine.
