Briana (left) and Kaitlyn (right)

We were thrilled to add Kaitlyn Carrion to our team in March, and Briana Prothero on July 1. Both were hired as chocolatiers, which means they are undergoing our year-long training in all aspects of chocolate making from production steps to creating their own chocolates for upcoming seasons.  We asked them to introduce themselves in their own words.  Here they are:

Kaitlyn:

My name is Kaitlyn, and I moved to Portland in 2020 with the intention of working for a small business. It has always been important to me to support small businesses and becoming a part of the Chocolats Passion team really suited me in the sense that I had apprenticed for a chocolatier on a small team once before. I have developed a true appreciation for French style confections over the past four months, specifically with our Pate de Fruit. I really enjoy the intention of a well rounded, not overly sweet palette that is found in French confections and tend to favor foods which contain that touch of tartness in my own cooking at home as well. When I am not making chocolate with our team I can often be found at home in the kitchen or spending time brainstorming savory dishes and watching cooking programs. I am looking forward to the introduction of several new chocolates to our menu this Fall, including but not limited to, my very own first chocolate, a pear in milk chocolate! I cannot wait for the community to try them and I think that they will enjoy them just as much as we do.

Briana:

Born in Southern California, I found a passion for food when my dad became an architect for restaurants. I attended ASU in AZ for my BS in Nutrition and Le Cordon Bleu for a degree in culinary arts.  I worked in many styles of kitchens for the next 10 years before transitioning to working in higher education.  I met my husband, an AZ native, 8 years ago.  We were married during Covid.  After living in AZ 20 years, we made the decision to move to Maine.  I left my job as the Director of Enrollment at Ottawa University to go back into the culinary world.  In my free time, I love to cook, play tennis, and travel the world with my husband on food vacations.  Currently working on my MBA.