I. BEING YOU
What is your name? Stephen Gilgunn
Where do you live? Paris, France
What do you do for a living? I am a food tour guide
Where people can reach you or follow your work:
Instagram: stevietat2
II. BEING CHOCOLATE TASTER
How did you decide to become a chocolate taster?
On my first visit to Colombia a few years back I visited a small family owned cocoa plantation and done a guided tour with the owner. It was fascinating to see first-hand the whole process from the pollination of the flowers on the tree to the end product of cacao paste. It sparked my curiosity to see which courses were out there that could further my knowledge on chocolate and that I could use on my tours. That’s when I came across the IICCT course and it sounded perfect!
What draws you to work in chocolate?
The diversity of chocolate! What other confectionary can you have hot or cold? Soft or hard? Sweet or savory? Something that we crave, it’s all there! I love when a client’s face lights up after tasting an amazing chocolate and helping them understand the process of not only tasting chocolate but the importance of its origins and responsible buying.
What themes do you pursue as a chocolate taster?
Our food tours delve into lots of foods from pastries to bread to chocolate. We visit renowned and reward winning chocolatiers to discuss their backgrounds, discover their range of produce and taste their ganache and single origin bars. Starting in September I will be doing specific cheese and chocolate pairing workshops in Paris so watch this space 🙂
What are the biggest challenges as a chocolate taster?
Finding the time to do everything from my current course studies, working, travelling and everyday life to put time aside to taste chocolate and research the brands backgrounds… After I first certified I think my biggest challenge was trusting my palate and not doubting myself.
What do I love about being a chocolate taster?
The variety of chocolate that you can taste, the different types of beans, the origins and of course the work that each chocolatier does to bring out the typicity of that terroir.
What is the one thing I want people to learn and remember about chocolate?
That chocolate is so much more than the “supermarket” brands and it should not be a daunting experience to buy craft chocolate. I have so many people on my tours that do not know what the percentages or single origins are on a bar. Going back to the basics is a good start to educate people on production, origins, ethics and how to read the label so buying can be more of an enjoyable experience.
The chocolate world is all theirs to discover!
As a food tour guide, you’ve had the opportunity to share your knowledge with people from all walks of life. Have you noticed any common patterns or misconceptions when it comes to people’s understanding of high-quality wine, artisanal cheese, and craft chocolate?
I’ve noticed that when it comes to wine, people tend to lean towards grapes and regions that they already familiar with or those with an established reputation for example Bordeaux and Burgundy and are more likely to seek out these wine origins and invest in those.
In contrast, when it comes to artisanal cheese, I find that many people are more hesitant to try new and unfamiliar varieties. They’re often drawn to the comfort of familiar cheeses like cheddar or mozzarella, and may not be as adventurous when it comes to trying stronger or more pungent cheeses. As a result, I have to work harder to educate them about the unique characteristics and benefits of artisanal cheeses.
As for craft chocolate, I think many people are still unfamiliar with the concept of single-origin or bean-to-bar chocolate making. They’re often used to mass-produced chocolate bars with generic flavor profiles, so it can be a challenge to explain the importance of origin and processing methods. However, once they understand the story behind the chocolate – how it’s made, the care that goes into selecting high-quality beans, and the unique flavor profiles that result – they’re often eager to try new and exotic flavors.
As a food tour guide, I love having the opportunity to share these stories with people and help them appreciate the craftsmanship and care that goes into creating these high-quality products. It’s rewarding to see people’s minds opened up to new flavors and experiences, and I think it’s especially important in an era where so much focus is on mass production and industrialization.
III. BEING IICCT ALUMNI
How long have you been an IICCT member?
Since 2020
What do you like best about IICCT Alumni group?
The networking! I love meeting people with different backgrounds and origins. I have made some good friends through the school.
What would be your advice for new chocolate tasters?
Taste, taste and taste! Get your palate accustomed to creating profiles and document as you go along so you can create a tasting note library.
IV. BEING CHOCOLATE LOVER
What was the latest chocolate you tasted that delighted you?
Discovered AO CACAO at le Salon du Chocolat in November and tried their 94% single origin dark bar and it was a revelation! I normally am not a fan of very high percentages but this bar was a revelation.
Is there some small still not globally known chocolate maker you would like people to know about?
I recently discovered a Colombian brand called TIBITO that is a bean to bar maker in Bogota using only Colombian cacao sourced in 5 different areas of Colombia, each area has its own characteristics which they enhance in each origin bar.
What is your favorite cacao origin?
I’m probably a little biased as Colombia is the Country that sparked my interest in cacao and I feel that it is often overlooked by Peru, Mexico and Ecuador when it comes to the Americas chocolate but love trying new origins so no doubt I’ll have a new favorite soon:)
Favorite chocolate quote?
“Chocolate is the cheapest therapy”
