CHOCOLATIER

To chocoholics, working with the "food of the gods" all day  
seems like the fantasy job. But to become an exceptional
artisan chocolatier like Andrew Shotts '90, it takes a tireless passion for your work, a commitment to using only the best ingredients, and a sharp eye for business.

Andrew's road to twice becoming one of Pastry Art & Design's "Ten Best Pastry Chefs in America" started with a culinary arts degree and a love of cooking. After graduating with honors from the CIA, he worked in New York, Italy, and his hometown of Huntsville, AL, all the while experimenting with desserts and chocolates, and laying the creative foundation for what would ultimately become his own line of artisanal
chocolates.

In 2001, Andrew and his wife Tina opened Garrison Confections in Providence, RI and in November 2006, launched his new book Making Artisan Chocolates at the Chocolate Show in New York City.

—Andrew Shotts '90
Owner
Garrison Confections
Providence, RI

If you love the idea of creating showpieces, cakes, confections, and much more using one of the world's best-loved ingredients, then a career as a chocolatier is for you. A good chocolatier has to have imagination, creativity, and vision, and be market-savvy as well as artistic. Due to the organic nature of chocolate, effective chocolatiers must have the knowledge and skills to deal with a host of variables, including the atmosphere of the room, the weather, the source of the cocoa beans, and the chemistry of the chocolate. Successful chocolatiers must also be fast, proficient, and detail-oriented.

A sample of CIA Alumni in this field:

• Jennifer Kerr '97
  Burdicks
  Walpole, NH
  
• Dorian Daniel O'Connell '03
  Garrison Confections
  Providence, RI