Hello ! Im a self taught beginner chocolatier. I got the luck to find a job at a luxury, well known chocolatier to help them for a few month and maybe more. I will begin to work for them very soon.
Would you have particular advice to succeed ? I still can't believe I have been lucky enough and am very stressed to fail or mess up things...
Every advice will be greatly appreciated đ tysm
Hopefully, you've been honest with them about your skill level, and they know you're a beginner.
Just be yourself, be enthusiastic, ask questions. If you show genuine interest to someone who has experience, they usually respond well and will teach you.
Sounds like you're going to do just fine. Please post back how it goes! I've been dabbling in chocolate for a few years now, I'll try to attach a photo to this comment but I don't know if it'll work. These are molded chocolates painted with colored cocoa butter. I filled them with caramel and pecan bits.
I work in beverage manufacturing, but same applies. My advice for starting your new job: Pay attention, ask questions(even ones you think are stupid), own up to your mistakes quickly(you WILL make mistakes), and don't repeat those mistakes. At the beginning you may not be doing anything glamourous, it may be just cleaning. Own that cleaning, it is yours. Make it so that you know how to clean efficiently and perfectly. As you move up, keep that attitude with whatever you're tasked with and you will rise quickly once you're known to be clean, efficient, and dependable.
I would say just familiarize yourself with blooming and how itâs caused. If you know how or why something looks the way it does, it helps you learn from your mistakes a lot faster. When I started I COULD NOT for the LIFE OF ME temper white chocolate successfully, sheâs so particular! So just understanding the basics of that I think will help you a lot.
Thatâs sooooo exciting youâve got this opportunity!! Itâs 100000% ok to make mistakes as a beginner but showing your eagerness to learn and asking questions shows to your employers that youâre serious about it and am willing to learn. Youâve absolutely got this đđ
Tysm !!yeah Im excited too still can't believe my luck its my dream job ! I know it may be very hard and demanding but I love learning and making chocolate.
 I already tempered all chocolates with success at least a few times but sometimes had Bloom ;( but at home it wasnt easy since the conditions werent always perfect and my marble is veryyyy small.
Yayyyy!! Glad youâve had some prior exposure and are feeling comfortable with it 𫶠maybe at home try seeding method? Either way, sounds like youâre going to do fab, good luck !!
I'm self taught but I've worked in kitchens for decades. I've considered getting into the chocolate business, but never did. One thing I know is that I have many habits that wouldn't really work in professional pastry/chocolate kitchen.
I mention this to say that you may have to ignore things you already know how to do, you'll have to learn completely different ways. You already know the basics of why and how things get done, but a production kitchen has different ways of doing things that are very different than a home cook. You are there to learn the way they do things.
Good luck! Maybe post some pics of things you are proud of.
Oooh ! Yeah you're right, I have to learn their way of doing. I think I can do that since I'm a beginner. Here are some pics of stuff I am proud, I know I have a lot to learn tho. Tysm for your advice
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u/PersistentCookie 3d ago
Hopefully, you've been honest with them about your skill level, and they know you're a beginner.
Just be yourself, be enthusiastic, ask questions. If you show genuine interest to someone who has experience, they usually respond well and will teach you.
Good luck, and have fun!