Attention chocoholics!

This Castlegar chocolatier has been sweetening the Kootenays with her tasty creations

Loretta Larsen (left) and her helper, Raylene Chaves (right) sell delicious chocolates to an eager crowd. —

Photo courtesy Loretta Larsen

Loretta Larsen, owner of Detailed Chocolate Expressions in Castlegar, began her quest to become a chocolatier about 20 years ago. She started out making decorative treats for holidays and family events; it became clear that she had a talent for it.

Larsen and her family moved to the Kootenays from Hazelton three years ago, and her search for a job led her to take courses at Ashland Training Centre in Castlegar. Finally she found her entrepreneurial niche and applied to Community Futures in Nelson so that she could start her own company. Detailed Chocolate Expressions came to life.

"I make homemade custom chocolates with detail in colour and designs," she said. "I (also) make assorted chocolates such as peanut butter cups, mint patties and almond bark, to name a few, (and) theme chocolates that have their own fitted boxes. Examples of these are occupational themes (such as) doctor, nurse, police, fireman, hairdresser . . . almost anything you can think of I can probably get. I have over 800 moulds that I can search for."

Larsen also creates her decadent delights for weddings, golf tournaments and other events, in addition to the standard holidays and special occasions. Her work has been featured in several Castlegar venues, such as Creative Edge, the Plaza Bakery and the Kootenay Gallery of Art. She also attends the farmers market and has sold her wares at the mall in Trail around the holidays.
 
"I accept special orders," she said. "I also do classes at the community complex centre at Castlegar, where people can come and learn how to make chocolates and even buy supplies to get them started."

Larsen is enjoying the Kootenay life, and attends monthly meetings with the Kootenay Women in Business organization in town. She has found the networking especially helpful.

"People in the Kootenays are starting to get to know who I am," she said. "It is a lot of work being in business for yourself but fulfilling too and surprising sometimes what a person can achieve when they put their mind to it."
 
For more information or photos of Larsen's work, visit Detailed Chocolate Expressions on Facebook, call 250-365-4770 or visit the company website.