BE CHOCOLAT’S FIRST BUSINESS OF THE YEAR OPENING

Husband and wife BE Chocolat co-owners Belgian Master Chocolatier Benoit Racquet and Sylvie Fortin.

BE Chocolat recently opened its brand-new location at 75 Hillside Road in Fairfield with a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event, attended by Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, Director of Economic and Community Development Mark Barnhart and more than 50 community supporters, marked the first business opening of the year in Fairfield.

The European-style artist”™s workshop (atelier) and retail shop was designed by Fairfield architect Christian Arkay-Leliever, and will offer the community an opportunity to appreciate and enjoy the production of delicious Belgian chocolates. All chocolates are hand-crafted in small batches to preserve the subtleness of taste of premium ingredients using Belgium”™s finest Callebaut chocolate.

“We”™re excited to present our new atelier and retail shop to the Fairfield County community,” said Belgian Master Chocolatier and Owner Benoit Racquet. “The response to our chocolate was tremendous, leading us to make this move to brick and mortar. It is our passion to create premium Belgium chocolate and we”™re thrilled to be the first business opening in 2021 in Fairfield.”

Co-owned with his wife Sylvie Fortin, Racquet is the creator of the unique taste pairings for which it is well known. He graduated from Ceria Culinary Institute in Belgium and was chocolate chef at the Belgian Pavilion in Shanghai World Expo in 2010.

In addition to providing an exciting new retail shop and showcase workshop, the welcoming space will offer opportunities for chocolate events and chocolate-making classes. “Right now, we will continue offering virtual tasting events, which we created during the pandemic in response to customers”™ needs, such as the Consulate General of Belgium in Los Angeles and the Belgian Embassy in Washington, D.C. for their Belgian community events. Online ordering will continue throughout the nation for individual customers and we offer a white-glove approach for corporate gifts”¦,said Fortin.

To learn more about BE Chocolat or to place an order, visit BEchocolat.com or email yummy@bechocolat.com.