Meet the maker
Chapon
About Chapon
Patrice Chapon, the pâtissier-chocolatier behind Chocolat Chapon didn’t always want to make chocolate. At school, far more interested by drawing and design, he dreamed of becoming an architect. We have his dad – a wine supplier to Parisian restaurants – to thank for his first forays into cooking. Soon after starting his career as a chef, Patrice swapped chopping giblets and peeling carrots for patisserie.
How they became makers…
After completing a degree in patisserie, chocolate and ice cream and working in restaurants in France, Patrice moved across the channel. Here, he joined La Maison Du Sorbet, who supply ice creams and sorbets to Buckingham Palace. As he spent his days making iced delights for the Royal Family, he discovered a new passion. Wondering around Harrods, he found the chocolate hall on the ground floor he says he fell in love, even visiting everyday.
Returning to France with his new-found passion, Patrice Chapon started making bon-bons in the family’s basement. Quickly outgrowing the space, he moved to his own workshop in Chellles, where anyone wondering past could seem him creating truffles and chocolate treats for Parisian shops. During the holidays, like Easter he would sell any imperfect creations straight from the workshop. To his surprise, people kept coming back and asking for more!
To satisfy the local demand, in 1993 Patrice opened a little boutique adjoining his workshop. Fast forward to 2016 and there are now four Chocolat Chapon shops: two in Paris, one in Neuilly and of course in Chelles (now much bigger than it once was).
In 2010, Patrice set himself a new challenge – to make his own chocolate directly from the bean. For Patrice deciding to make his own chocolate wasn’t just a question of transparency, sustainability and quality (although all of these were factors). It was also a matter of truly making his treats and truffles his own, infusing every part of his creations with his unique personality.
Chapon’s Sourcing
Crafting great chocolate from the bean doesn’t happen overnight. Patrice had to research, find the right equipment and even make his own machines, specially adapted to his requirements. He sought advice, spoke to experts and experimented. Not least he visited different plantations and tried different beans.
Patrice’s innovation extends far beyond his bars. One of this most successful and popular products bring together his chocolate and ice cream making talents. Rather than different ice creams, his chocolate mousse bar lets you choose between chocolate mousses made with different origin chocolates. To help bring joy to as many people as possible, he even has his own chocolate mousse truck that can be seen driving round Paris.
The fruit of his labours, Chapon’s beautifully buttery chocolate, you can taste for yourselves. We were delighted at the range of flavours Patrice had managed to coax out of his beans. Tasting our way through, we were immediately struck by his Patrice attention to detail and consistently high standard. Aside from the distinctive flavours of each origin, each perfectly tempered bar had a clean snap, glossy finish and smooth texture.
Want to explore more makers of the world's best craft chocolate? Just start typing their name (or any letter) into the search box to discover them.
20° Nord 20° Sud
9th & Larkin
Åkesson’s
Amaro
Amedei
AMMA
Ara
Askinosie
Auro Chocolate
AWKI
Aztec Gold
Baianí
Bare Bones
Bean & Goose
BeanCraft
Belmont Estate
Belvie
BOHO Chocolate
Bonnat
Bullion
Butterfly
Cacaoken
Cacaosuyo
Carambole
Casa Cacao
Castronovo
Chequessett Chocolate
Choco Del Sol
Chococard
Chocokoo
Chocolarder
Chocolat Madagascar
Chocolate Tree
Chocolatemakers
Chocolaterie A. Morin
Chocolaterie Robert
ChocoMe Atelier
Claudio Corallo
Cocama
Coco Caravan
Cocoa Retreat
Conexion
Contour Chocolate
Cuna de Piedra
Damson
Dandelion Chocolate
DesBarres
Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
Diogo Vaz
Doble & Bignall
Domori
Dormouse Chocolates
Duffy’s Chocolate
Encuentro
Endorfin
ENRICHD
Erithaj Chocolat
Ethereal
Feitoria do Cacao
Firetree
Fjåk
Forever Cacao
Fossa
Foundry Chocolate
Franceschi
French Broad Chocolates
Fresco Chocolate
Friis Holm
Fruition
Fu Wan Chocolate
Georgia Ramon
Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Grenada Chocolate Company
Hasnaâ La Feverie
Heinde & Verre
Herencia Esmeraldas
Herufek
Höganäs
Hogarth
Hoja Verde
Idilio Origins
Innato
Islands Chocolate
Ivee Promenade
JK Fine Chocolates
Jordi’s Chocolate
Junglegold Bali
Kankel
Karuna
Krak Chocolade
Krakakoa
La Naya
Land
Lapa-Lapa
Latitude
Levy
LIM
Lucocoa
Luisa Abram
Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates
Lumineux
Lyra
Madécasse
Malagos Chocolate
Manoa
Manufaktura Czekolady
Marana
Marou
Mast Brothers
Maüa
Mellow
Menakao
Mestico
Metiisto
MIA
Michel Cluizel
Mike & Becky
Milz Chocolat
Minka
Mirzam
Misina Cokolada
MOKA
Montecristi
Mucho
Nadalina
Naive
NearyNogs
ÓBOLO
Ocelot
Oialla
Omnom
Original Beans
Pacari
Pacha de Cacao
Palette de Bine
Parliament
Pitch Dark
Plaq
Pralus
PRIDI Cacaofevier
Puchero
Pump Street Chocolate
Pure Imagination
Qantu
Raaka
Radek’s Chocolate
Raphio Chocolate
Reine Astrid
Rio Nuevo
Ritual Chocolate
Rococo
Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé
Ruket
Seaforth Chocolate Co.
Shattell
Sirene
Sisters A. Chocolate
Soklet
Solkiki
Solomons Gold
Solstice
Soma
SPAGnVOLA
Standout Chocolate
Storm & Bille
Stranger
Svenska Kakaobolaget
Table
Taucherli
Taza Chocolate
TBROS
TCHO
The Careless Collection
The Smooth Chocolator
Theobroma Cacao
Tibito
Tobago Cocoa
Tosier
Undone Chocolate
Utopick
Vinte Vinte
Willie’s Cacao
Zotter
