Kay Thibodeaux’s journey to becoming a chocolatier led directly to her opening The Touring Chocolatier in Northlake. While working as an independent consultant with Dove Chocolate Discoveries—the home division of Dove Chocolate—Thibodeaux became the first consultant to earn an incentive trip, where she traveled abroad to work with master chocolatiers.
One trip led to another, and suddenly, she was traveling more and more. Besides working with top chocolatiers, she also learned about the science behind chocolate making, including specifics, such as what ripe cacao pods should look like as well as what shape beans take when they are roasted and fermented.
In 2017, Thibodeaux earned her chocolatier certification through Ecole Chocolat, an online school based in Canada. In 2020, her business plan for The Touring Chocolatier was to teach a weekly truffle-making class from her home; when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she pivoted to selling at local farmers markets.
“By the end of the year, the hot cocoa bomb craze had hit, and my house was overtaken,” Thibodeaux said. “One room became all ingredients; one room became all orders ready to be picked up; and my kitchen, dining room and pantry were all production. And I was doing 12 truffle-making classes with 12 people each between Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
