Don’t Tell Me I Can’t…
…make a living as a chocolatier
Sara Chapman is living the sweet life since becoming a pro chocolatier
Watching my guests sprinkle flakes of hazelnuts onto bite-sized chunks of chocolate, a sense of pride and accomplishment quickly overcomes me. There isn’t anything I love more than seeing my clients stand back and admire their amazing chocolate creations. It isn’t something I ever imagined doing, but at 47, I’ve finally found something I love, and better yet, I’m making a living from it.
Growing up, I had no interest in having a career in chocolate or cooking. I liked numbers and when I left school I started working as an accountant.
I revelled in the city life, but everything changed when I married my husband Andrew in 2005 and we started a family. After our daughter Isobel was born, work took a back seat - I wanted to be there as much as I could for Isobel. So, with Andrew’s support, I left my job in order to focus on being a mum.
The idea of returning to work and commuting into the city office no longer gave me the thrill and excitement that it had in my 20s. I wanted to do something different that would fit around my family life, but I didn’t know where to start.
My light bulb moment came in May 2009. I was in the supermarket one day when I spotted a beautiful box of chocolates. Deciding I wanted a treat, I popped them in the trolley. I was so looking forward to tucking in, but when I got home and ate a couple, I felt really underwhelmed. The chocolates were boring and bland and definitely didn’t live up to expectations. I couldn't even tell the flavours without reading the descriptions. That’s when I got thinking about becoming a chocolatier. A few weeks later, I mentioned my idea to Andrew. ‘I’m going to learn how to make chocolate,’ I said. And, after researching, I discovered Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Oxford that ran courses for beginners.
I enrolled on a three-day course in September 2009 where I learned the basics. I enjoyed the classes so much that I started making chocolate at home. Of course, not everything went according to plan! But I became better with practice and started to focus on building the business – and my brand.
I designed and wrote copy for my website. Then in May 2010, using some of my savings, I started Sara Jane Chocolates specialising in hosting chocolate-making classes.
Of course I worried that nobody would be interested and there were times when I doubted I could ever make a success of something I’d only been doing for a short time. But gradually things started to take off.
Even when my son Isaac, was born in 2011, followed by Henry, two years later, I somehow managed to juggle looking after three children with growing my business.
Now, eight years on from the launch, I make a living from hosting corporate events, hen dos and parties all over the south east of England.
Becoming a chocolatier hasn’t been easy but I’m proud of how far I’ve come – and let me tell you, success really does taste sweet when you’ve worked so hard to achieve it!
‘success does taste sweet’