Serendipity would have it that I crossed paths with a very talented pastry chef looking to expand her chocolate skills.  Darcy and I met at my lovely neighbor's Valentine party, where I had brought a few chocolates. 

I turns out that I had been planning on getting someone to apprentice and help me in our day to day production. But Darcy has taken to the job with a relish and an aptitude that makes any notion of apprenticeship quaint.  It is clear that her training and pastry skills are transferring readily to chocolate work, and that I am now so very lucky to have a full-fledged co-chocolatier on the team!