A friendship formed several years ago recently brought one of the world’s top chocolate makers to Clearwater.
“We met Phillipe Vancayseele when we were doing a two-year course in Belgium to become chocolatiers,” said Johan Raes. “We spent some time at the Callebaut academy, where he is the director. We took lessons from him and that’s how we came to know each other.”
Raes pointed out that Barry Callebaut is one of the largest, if not the largest, chocolate manufacturer in the world.
They became good friends and they wanted to continue seeing each other, even though the Raes had immigrated to Canada.
“We invited him and he came here for a four-week visit to Canada,” said Maryse Raes. “While he was visiting we asked ourselves: why don’t we do something for the community and show what chocolate is?”
Working with the Community Resource Center, the Raes and the Belgian chocolate expert put on two workshops last Wednesday. The first was a basic course on chocolate making and aimed at the general public.
The second, targeted at cooks, chefs, bakers and people with a passion for chocolate, covered the more technical aspects of chocolate making.
Participants at both workshops received a gift from the Raes’ company, Helmcken Chocolates Inc.
The Raes and Vancayseele also contributed two special chocolate Halloween creations. These were auctioned off after the workshops, with the proceeds going to Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.
“They weren’t hollow. They each contained seven or eight kilograms of chocolate and took us two days to make,” said Maryse Rees.
The local chocolatiers often are seen selling their Belgian chocolate creations Saturday mornings at Clearwater’s Farmers Market. They also sell in Kamloops, 100 Mile House and from their home.
New products include the famous Belgian sugar waffles. Helmcken Chocolate Inc. will even soon have its own vending trailer, said Johan Raes.