Our Team
Our team, Fall 2025: Victoria Bradford, Sarah Burns, Catherine Wiersema, Briana Prothero and Araceli Torres
Winky Lewis photo
Our Team Members
Catherine Wiersema, Founder and Co-Owner
Catherine started Chocolats Passion in 2014 in her Belmont, MA kitchen. In the fall of 2017 came a move to Portland, and in 2018 the opening of our shop/production space at 189 Brackett Street. Catherine's passion for chocolate making began while growing up in France: at the age of 10 she had created her first confection, a hard-as-a-rock hazelnut caramel! Mostly self-taught, she prepared for her transition from amateur to professional by completing the 2013 Professional Chocolatier and the 2014 Chocolate Quality Standards programs at Ecole Chocolat.
Sarah Burns, Co-Owner
Sarah is a Culinary Institute of America graduate (Hyde Park, NY) and pastry chef, who joined our team in March 2020. Sarah soon proved herself a full-fledged chocolatier when she earned a silver medal with her first confection, just six months into her tenure with us! Sarah's broad talents include a special skill for creating spicy chocolates, and the ability to maximize our production runs while staying faithful to our sky-high quality standards. Her outstanding contributions led to her promotion to Lead Chocolatier in January 2022. In January 2024, Sarah became Co-Owner with Catherine of Chocolats Passion, securing the long-term future of our beloved company.
Briana Prothero, Lead Chocolatier
Briana joined the team in July 2023 after moving cross country from Arizona. She and her husband fell in love with the bustling town of Portland, ME. Her background is in nutrition and culinary arts, with work mostly in catering and restaurant kitchens. Briana's great organizational and management skills led to her promotion to Lead Chocolatier in August 2025.
Araceli Torres, Chocolatier
Audi joined the team in November 2024 after many years in the food industry, most recently as a pastry chef. She is no chocolate novice, having created chocolate collections for past employers. But her long-term goal was actually to join Chocolats Passion, and we are thrilled to have her on board!
Victoria Bradford, Confectioner
You can't keep Victoria out of a candy shop: she has worked for three chocolate and confectionery companies over the years. Before her first day at Chocolats Passion in the fall of 2021, she already knew and loved all the chocolates. While sailing around the world with her family, she maintained that a candy thermometer was necessary for self-sufficiency. In the shop, you'll find her helping customers, packing orders, and coming up with yummy confections.
