Do you dream in chocolate? Chef Brad LeBoldus does.
LeBoldus, 37, has been fascinated by chocolate all his
life.
"I have been absolutely obsessed by chocolate, I had to have
one every day. Now I have decided to plunge right into it so to
speak as a business venture," said LeBoldus.
LeBoldus' handmade product, Chocolate du Nord, will be
available at Kitchen Bits at 1212 Lasalle Blvd., and the Hemp
Guy on Durham St. next Friday, just in time for the
holidays.
The Saskatoon native moved to Sudbury in May 2005. He worked as
a gourmet chef with the Nickel Chef on Kathleen St., and then
as the chef at the Elizabeth Centre. He's worked previously as
a chef in Guelph and at a resort on the west coast. Last March
he attended at the famous Cordon Bleu school in Ottawa.
"The Cordon Bleu is one of the most famous culinary schools in
the world, in fact it is one of the oldest, having been started
in Paris in 1895. The Ottawa school is one of many Cordon Bleu
education centres around the world-they are found in Peru,
Australia and the United States. I was delighted to train with
Herve Chabert, from Lyon France, a master of patisserie,
pastries and baked products, including chocolate," he said.
"What I learned is to make chocolate in the artisan method,
using hand tempered methods as opposed to the usual machine
processes, for example, that ensures the product is of the
highest quality," said LeBoldus.
"My chocolate paste comes from three chocolate manufacturers in
Switzerland, France and Belgium. To get my own blend of
chocolate, I take the chocolate butter, the way it arrives to
me,  and infuse flavouring into it say mint or coffee, to
make the final couveture chocolate. I then take this and melt
it, putting it into moulds."
When LeBoldus told chocolate experts in southern Ontario
about his  method they were amazed.
"The professionals I talked to were just blown away by my
process. No one goes to the effort I do. You can taste the care
that goes into these chocolate products," he said.
While LeBoldus has made truffles, he will be selling 
mainly chocolate bars weighing 51 grams for between $3.50 and
$4 depending on the flavour. A smaller 39 gram tablet will also
be available as a taste treat.
"I offer mint, caramel and coffee flavours. In fact if you had
the coffee bar every morning you could wean yourself off coffee
and that would allow you to kick your normal coffee addiction.
Chocolate is a healthier alternative."
Has any one tried his chocolate?
"I did a taste trial on Dec. 8 at Vinegar on the Rocks for
about 30 people. They were received very well," said
LeBoldus.
While LeBoldus is operating mainly a wholesale operation he
still will take individual orders by phone and is seeking more
retailers. For more information, phone 671-4027.
