On October 2, 2023, Jean-Paul Hévin was awarded the title of Best Pastry Chocolatier in the World for 2023-2024.
Fast forward to November 17, 2024 and this legendary craftsman was a guest at our latest ticketed Zoom tasting.
Jean-Paul Hévin has been creating some of the finest chocolates in France since 1988. Until last weekend, I had no connection to him. So, how did this legend of pastry agree to join a Zoom tasting hosted by yours truly?
I’m glad you asked.
Last June, I fell in love with Jean-Paul Hévin’s 70% Yaoundé bar. I brought 20 of them back to the US and saved then for a ticketed tasting.
Wouldn’t it be fun, I thought, to have Jean-Paul Hévin be part of the tasting?
A few weeks ago, I explained the concept of these tastings to their social media manager through an Instagram DM. She asked me to send an email, which I did, but when I didn’t hear back, I followed up with a second, more compelling email.
Finally, the reply came: Monsieur Hévin said oui!
Jean-Paul Hévin. Photo from the company’s website.
But wait — this story gets even better.
When I shared the exciting news with my friend Abdel Aziz El Baïz of L’Artisan du Chocolat, he connected me with Aristide Tchoumtchoua, the president of the Cameroonian cooperative that supplies the very cacao beans used in the Jean-Paul Hévin bars we tasted.
And so, last Sunday, attendees of our Paris-inspired ticketed Zoom tasting interacted with not only the face behind their chocolate, but also the very source of their cacao. Naturally, Abdel, the ultimate connector, joined us as well.
As if that wasn’t enough, we had one more guest: Nicolas Rozier-Chabert, co-founder of the Parisian bean-to-bar company Plaq. He logged in from a taxi and later a hotel, en route to France’s first stuffed cabbage competition in Limoges (you can’t make that up). Here’s a photo of him and his wife Sandra, proudly holding a cabbage.
The feedback on the event was amazing. Here are screenshots of the testimonials I received after the tasting.
I’m grateful to everyone who participated in this magical event. It took four years to get to there, and without your support, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to welcome such inspiring guests.
Join us on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at 1 PM ET for a virtual chocolate tasting celebrating Latin American cacao.
Your tasting kit will feature some of the most beautiful bars in the 37 Chocolates collection, including Castronovo’s delicate Puerto Rican bar. We already have two confirmed guests for this event — and I’m hoping to add more!
This would be a thoughtful holiday gift for the chocolate lover in your life. Tickets are $137 per US household and the presentation will be recorded.I hope to see you then.
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