Our Team
At Chocolats Passion, we believe exceptional chocolate begins with exceptional ingredients and limitless creativity. As leading innovators in artisan chocolate, we are passionate about pushing boundaries and reimagining what chocolate can be. In our Portland, Maine chocolate shop, we are proud to use local ingredients and ethically sourced Fair Trade chocolate, ensuring every bite supports sustainable farming communities around the world.
Victoria Bradford, Sarah Burns, Catherine Wiersema, Briana Prothero, and Araceli Torres
Our Team Members
Catherine Wiersema, Founder and Co-Owner
Catherine's love affair with chocolate started while growing up in France: at the age of 10 she had created her first confection, a hard-as-a-rock hazelnut caramel! After decades of making chocolates for fun, she transitioned from amateur to professional by completing the 2013 Professional Chocolatier and the 2014 Chocolate Quality Standards programs at Ecole Chocolat. In 2014, she started Chocolats Passion in her Belmont, MA kitchen. A move to Portland led to the 2018 opening of our shop at 189 Brackett Street.
From the start, Catherine focused on hiring exceptionally talented food industry professionals with a passion for creating. A large base of loyal and adventurous customers has become a reality thanks to our Team's ever evolving offerings. In turn, this has allowed Chocolats Passion to support local organizations focusing on Food Insecurities and Women issues .
But chocolate is not Catherine's only passion: she is on the board of PCMF, the Portland Chamber Music Festival, and loves to spend time (as Mimi) with her grand-kiddos Henry and Rose.
Sarah Burns, Co-Owner
Sarah Burns is a pastry graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY) who joined Chocolats Passion in March 2020. She has always loved the science behind chocolate and enjoys learning what makes every recipe, flavor, and technique work.
In January 2024, Sarah became Co-Owner of Chocolats Passion, ensuring the continued growth of a company already built on exceptional chocolate. Sarah is passionate about sharing her love of chocolate with others and can often be found in the community connecting through classroom visits, educational talks, and local sporting events, showing that chocolate is both a science and an art. Sarah also serves on the Board of Directors for A Company of Girls (ACOG), leading and empowering young girls.
Fun fact: Sarah's love of the culinary world extends to her pets—her dog is named Sugar, and her cat is named after a French chef.
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. Most recently Audi won medals from two major competitions for her Thai Chili Caramel chocolate, see our blog. Audi's long-term goal had been to join Chocolats Passion, we are so thrilled she is part of the Team!
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.
