We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danielle & Matthew White a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielle & Matthew, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Our oldest son Mateus (Tay) was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy when we was a toddler. Candy, chocolates and desserts have always been a significant component in our family celebrations. When he was diagnosed we were suddenly faced with having to read every label and being extremely cautious with desserts he was able to eat. It was exhausting and disheartening back then. So we decided to take matters into our own hands and make chocolates and confections that were safe for him to eat. We even re-created nostalgic candy bars and chocolates that were peanut free so that he didn’t feel left out. At the time, we thought if we were having this experience we couldn’t the only ones. And from a personal need Chocolatay Confections was born. Not only could our son enjoy chocolates safely, but others with peanut allergies as well.

Danielle & Matthew, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Allergen friendly chocolates and confections were not easily accessible around 2009-2010. There were a handful of companies that did offer peanut and nut free options but their ingredients also had artificial colors and flavors, high fructose corn syrup or preservatives. As we studied candy labels for peanut free options, we also began to pay attention to the ingredients as a whole, We wanted our child to have safe chocolates without compromising the quality of ingredients. When we moved to Chapel Hill, NC (from Brooklyn, NY) we joined the local farmers market and got an incredible education on our food system, sustainability and the importance of knowing where your ingredients come from. So our mission expanded from peanut free to incorporate sustainable, clean ingredient as well. We did not have a background in chocolate or pastries, but Matthew had a natural talent when it came to making food and I am always up for a challenge. So with a chócolate course online to learn the basics of chocolate making, we made the bold move to continue moving forward.

What we are most proud of is our ingredient sourcing and our local collaborations and the sense of community that we have with fellow makers, growers and small business owners. We are also extremely proud and honored to be a three time recipient of the Good Food Award.

Today we offer chocolates and confections you can feel good about. Our product selection ranges from bonbon, candy bars, pralines, barks, brittles and a variety of desserts to custom wedding favors and corporate gifts. Our chocolates are Fair Trade, non gmo, gluten free, peanut free, soy free and made with mindfully sourced ingredients.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Matthew and I are business partners and we are also married. We meet in 2001 in NYC where I was working towards my bachelors degree in Psychology. The day we met it was like we had always know each other, there was an ease and comfort that seemed extremely familiar, and we quickly fell in love. We have grown up together and support each other personally and professionally. Working with your spouse has its challenges but we compliment each other very well and are able to navigate the ups and downs of life and business with humor and love.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson we had to unlearn was to stop comparing ourselves to other chocolate businesses and Chocolatiers. When you are inexperienced and learning a new business it’s very easy to fall into the comparison trap. Living in NYC for so many years, we were familiar with internationally known pastry chefs and chocolatiers. When we were learning our craft we had an extremely high standard that wasn’t realistic for two people who were self taught and “learning as you go”. It was disheartening and at times we wondered if we would ever measure up. What we quickly realized is that there is room for everyone in the industry and that every one brings in their unique experience and set of skills. Not comparing ourselves to others allowed us to find out “voice” and our place in the chocolate world. It allowed us to make make mistakes, course correct and be intentional about how we moved forward. Comparison can be crippling and is the “thief of joy” (Theodore Roosevelt)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chocolatayconfections.com
• Instagram: @chocolatayconfections
• Facebook: @chocolatayconfections

Image Credits
@staceysprenzphotography and @chocolatayconfections.