A chat with Chocolatier and Guittard Brand Ambassador, Paul A Young

What inspired you to become a pastry chef?

I had the privilege of growing up in the seventies and eighties in a small rural mining village in Co Durham in the North East of England. My grandma lived just half a mile away, and her house was the family home where all the extended family congregated each Sunday for lunch and at 5 pm for tea. I loved being in her kitchen; she had a coal-fired Aga, so she was literally cooking with fire, and it was temperamental. There was a sweet spot, of course, when the temperature was perfect for cooking and baking; however often it was too hot or too cold. I was very young when, with my mum and grandma, I would hang out helping them bake the numerous pies, cakes, scones and biscuits needed for the family tea. I was pretty confident at baking by the age of 12 and could easily rustle up a Victoria sandwich or chocolate cake, and I started cake decorating. I was hooked and knew that food was going to be a big part of my life, and especially working with the sweet side of things. 

Do you have a signature dish that you're known for?

In 2004, I began experimenting with chocolate. I could not find the chocolates I wanted to enjoy, so I started creating my own. I taught myself how to work with chocolate at a professional level and reinvented how chocolates were made, as I didn’t want to have any preservatives or nasties in my chocolates. The first chocolate I perfected was my Sea salted caramel, a soft melt in melt-in-the-mouth caramel not using white sugar or glucose syrup. This, at the time, was unheard of in the chocolate industry, and it won my first and one of many Industry awards in the Academy of Chocolate Awards. I was awarded a gold award. This moment in time changed my career, and I became a full-time chocolatier. I’m still recognised as a chocolatier who helped sea salted caramel become a phenomenon.

If you weren't a pastry chef, what other career do you think you'd pursue? 

This is such a great question, as I think we all ask ourselves what if I were a………What If I had taken a different road? I was accepted into art college as I love being creative, and I thought I was going to be a fashion designer; however, at the very last minute, I changed to catering college. So it would have either been a fashion designer, I love cars, especially the classics, so I could see myself restoring or selling wonderful vintage cars. 

What do you hope people feel when they enjoy your desserts?

Feeling your food is quite a special experience. We are all at times, and often are in autopilot when we eat, it’s fuel, and you are hungry, so we often don’t take the time to look, feel and taste our food enough to really experience it. 
Being a chocolatier means I often say to people, Slow down, allow the chocolate to melt a little, enjoy the texture, and the smell before chewing and swallowing. It’s amazing what the feedback is from people and how much they experienced, how much they tasted and how much joy they feel. 
I want people to feel joy, to feel as though I have taken them to a place that isn’t every day, that gives them a moment in time memory that will stay with them always.

What trends in the pastry world/chocolate world are you excited about?

Are we on the brink of a new wave of chocolatiers opening shops? Well, I do think we could be. We have had a surge in bean-to-bar makers creating stunning chocolate bars; however, not a lot of growth in chocolatiers opening chocolate shops online or physical shops. We all know everything comes and goes in cycles, and often when the world is in a bit of disarray, we turn to sweet treats and especially chocolates to make us and our loved ones feel a bit more joy and to bring a smile. We will still have the social media products that go viral, but nothing is more real, tangible and enjoyable than a shop where the products are made using wonderful couverture and where people can meet and experience the art and skill of making chocolates.