Category Archives: Chocolatier of the Year

Frederic Loraschi

Frederic Loraschi

Owner

Chocolat Frederic Loraschi
chocolatfl.com

After attending the Souillac “Quercy-Perigord” culinary school, Frederic Loraschi began his career at the age of 16 as a cook for 1989 Bocuse d’Or winner Lea Linster in Luxembourg. He later joined the team of acclaimed 3 Michelin Star Chef Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu, where he learned that passion, patience and hard work are the keys to success.

In 1999, Frederic decided to pursue his career in the United States by joining The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel where he devoted one year as Assistant Pastry Chef before being promoted to Executive Pastry Chef for the reopening of the Original Ritz-Carlton, Boston.

In 2003, Frederic received the offer to take the lead of the pastry operation at the Hotel Hershey in Pennsylvania. His expertise, technical skills and creativity earned him many awards and accolades by the local and national media. Frederic was featured on the Food Network in the show “Unwrapped” as the top 5 best Chocolate Sunday brunch dessert buffet in the United States.

At the end of 2005, he left the Hotel Hershey to create Chocolat Frederic Loraschi and became a successful chocolatier. Only the finest ingredients are used in his creations and Frederic supports local farmers in Pennsylvania by using fresh milk, cream and butter from dairy farms in the area and wildflower honey from Lancaster County in his confections.

For the last five years, Chocolat Frederic Loraschi has been supplying some of the most prestigious venues across the country, as well as celebrities and political figures with his unique chocolate confections.

Because of his simple and efficient approach to pastry, Chef Frederic was featured in many trade magazines such as “Pasticceria Internazionale” (Italy), “Le Journal du Patissier”(France), “Chocolatier Magazine “United States, and “Cuisine & Wine Asia” (Singapore).

In 2007, Frederic was invited to participate as guest pastry chef at the “New World of Food and Wine 2007” at The Ritz–Carlton Millenia in Singapore, where he was the only
Chef representing the United States.

Because Chef Frederic is considered a leader in the high end artisan chocolate industry, he was selected has one of the finalist to compete for the US Selection of the World Chocolate Masters 2010, where he ranked second place overall, taking home the “Best Tasting” award. The competition was featured on the TLC Channel as “American Chocolate Championship”.

Today, Chef Frederic Loraschi continues to share his passion and expertise creating world-class chocolate confections with his dedicated team in Central Pennsylvania where he fully savours happiness with his wife Diana and his two sons Julian and Luca.

Chocolat Frederic Loraschi

P.O. Box 452
Hummelstown, PA 17036
(717)- 583-0368
chocolatfl.com

Courtney Sawasaki

Courtney Sawasaki

Manager in Training

Flavor Bar, Culinary Institute of America

Courtney Sawasaki attended and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in May 2012 with an Associate’s degree in Baking and Pastry Arts. While there, she worked as an assistant in the chocolate room and on special events. She also graduated from the Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona in June 2010. Courtney now works as the “Manager in Training” for the “Flavor Bar” at the Culinary Institute of America where she makes chocolate and confections for the store.

Andrea Smith

Andrea Smith

Chocolatier

Chocolate F/X

Andrea Smith attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh not for pastry but for special effects make up. She decided to move her focus to chocolate while apprenticing with a studio in Atlanta. Smith has a very unconventional education in chocolate, being self-taught, and worked as head Chocolatier for diAmano Chocolate for 3 1/2 years, and is now moving her own company Chocolate F/X to Nashville, TN. and opening her first brick and mortar. Always eager to use fresh, local ingredients, Smith works with local suppliers to craft her recipes, keeping her creations vibrant and innovative. Smith utilizes her special effects background to make chocolate molds and design transfer sheets. 2011 AJC.com “Best of the Big A” Chocolate winner

fx2 Andrea Smith

Amy E. Stankus

Amy E Stankus

Owner

Chocolate South
ChocolateSouth.com

Chocolate South began as an idea when Amy Stankus decided to leave the world of corporate architecture and start her own business. In 2004 she began working with chocolate and cooking in private homes as a personal chef. Several years ago she began to focus on chocolate full time. She opened her shop – Chocolate South – in West Midtown in June 2012.