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The Gift of Experience: A Conversation With Chocolatier Calum
The Gift of Experience: A Conversation with Chocolatier Calum
Our Senior Chocolatier, Calum, has two decades of experience in our Chocolate Kitchen, from its humble beginnings to three time world-gold winning team. Even though his work speaks for itself, we asked him to say a few words to describe his long and productive tenure working alongside his brother, Iain.
How long have you worked at The Highland Chocolatier?
I've worked here almost 20 years.
What makes you stay?
I just enjoy the work. It's grown from a complicated weekly pattern of work into a pattern that I know, and I enjoy knowing what I'm doing each week.
What's the best part of the work at Christmas?
I think doing a lot of ganaches and having a lot of enrobing to do really makes the place seem busy.
How much more ganache do you make at Christmas?
Easily five times as much, probably. It's good to know that we're making that much more volume for people, and that production is going significantly higher.
What's the most stressful thing that happens at Christmas?
Just getting the work done by the end of the day, and on schedule for the last Christmas delivery that goes out.
What's a stand-out memory of a past Christmas?
Maybe when Mary Berry visited, just before Christmas. It was very busy, and there was a sea of parcel bags in the kitchen rather than chocolatiers. I remember her and her film crew walking through the kitchen. They were interested in the chocolate processes, so Iain walked her through that, and the rest of us had jobs in the background, like dipping cherries. I think she said raspberries were her favourite. So dipping fruit was our role there.
How do you stay motivated and cheerful when you know it's going to be a big increase in work?
I think it's the fact that we're busy, keeping moving, and you don't have time to stop and think about what
you're doing. You need to just keep going, which is the easiest way.
What's one skill you think is important for everyone to have?
Using your hands, I think, from piping to putting the toppings on the bars and so on. Just being a little dextrous.
How has your job changed over the years?
It's certainly changed. We used to do everything, from baking cakes to wrapping individual sweets. Now we have a separate department, so it's more streamlined. I focus on making the chocolates and the bars, and someone else is now doing the packing.
What's your Christmas wish for the customers?
We've got a lot of different chocolates, so I hope you find the chocolate that you like.