Bethany Chocolatier
Bethany Thouin is a chocolatier and founder of The Cocoa Tree. She has created over twenty signature truffles which have been purchased or received by Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Nicole Kidman, Ashley Judd, Wolfgang Puck, President Bush, and so many others.
Bethany’s artisan chocolates are handcrafted in small batches to guarantee that each individual truffle is a perfectly irresistible, sublime chocolate experience. Her ingredient list is simple: fine chocolate, cream, butter, coffee beans, chilies, raspberries, oranges (depending on the confection, of course) with no added shelf-life extenders such as corn syrup. She particularly enjoys pairing chocolate with indigenously southern flavors; sweet potato, Jack Daniel's whiskey, sweet tea, and pecans have all been instrumental in building her popular repertoire.
Bethany’s work has garnered significant national media attention and provided some unique opportunities. In 2004 she was named one of the Top 10 Rising Stars in America's Confectionary Constellation and was presented with a medal in New York City. This prestigious award earned mentions for Bethany and The Cocoa Tree in Newsweek, Bon Appetit, and Home & Garden magazines.
In 2007 Bethany assisted world-renowned Chef Stephané Glacier at the World Pastry Forum. She recently competed against three chocolatiers on the Food Network Chocolate Landmarks Challenge; her chocolate replica of the Statue of Liberty merited great applause from the judges (Patrick Coston, Gale Gand, and Norman Love). She also presented a haute couture chocolate dress in the 2007 New York City Chocolate Show. Her dress and its designer (Bethany’s eleven year old daughter Jessie Lyric) appeared on CBS’ The Early Show. Bethany and Jessie Lyric are returning to the show in 2008 with a new design for the theme of All-Times Super Heroes.
But if you ask Bethany what her greatest accomplishment is, you probably won’t hear anything about chocolate. She will most likely gush something incredibly indulgent about her five children: Jessie Lyric, Journey, Bridge, Story Valentine, and Manhattan. Bethany and her husband Jesse opened The Cocoa Tree in Franklin, TN five years ago in part as a means by which they could nurture their children and stay connected as a family. They believe The Cocoa Tree is a vehicle for communicating their chocolate philosophy: chocolate is evidence that God delights in our pleasure!
You can keep up with Bethany on a more personal level through her blog at Bethany : Chocolatier.
Bethany’s artisan chocolates are handcrafted in small batches to guarantee that each individual truffle is a perfectly irresistible, sublime chocolate experience. Her ingredient list is simple: fine chocolate, cream, butter, coffee beans, chilies, raspberries, oranges (depending on the confection, of course) with no added shelf-life extenders such as corn syrup. She particularly enjoys pairing chocolate with indigenously southern flavors; sweet potato, Jack Daniel's whiskey, sweet tea, and pecans have all been instrumental in building her popular repertoire.
Bethany’s work has garnered significant national media attention and provided some unique opportunities. In 2004 she was named one of the Top 10 Rising Stars in America's Confectionary Constellation and was presented with a medal in New York City. This prestigious award earned mentions for Bethany and The Cocoa Tree in Newsweek, Bon Appetit, and Home & Garden magazines.
In 2007 Bethany assisted world-renowned Chef Stephané Glacier at the World Pastry Forum. She recently competed against three chocolatiers on the Food Network Chocolate Landmarks Challenge; her chocolate replica of the Statue of Liberty merited great applause from the judges (Patrick Coston, Gale Gand, and Norman Love). She also presented a haute couture chocolate dress in the 2007 New York City Chocolate Show. Her dress and its designer (Bethany’s eleven year old daughter Jessie Lyric) appeared on CBS’ The Early Show. Bethany and Jessie Lyric are returning to the show in 2008 with a new design for the theme of All-Times Super Heroes.
But if you ask Bethany what her greatest accomplishment is, you probably won’t hear anything about chocolate. She will most likely gush something incredibly indulgent about her five children: Jessie Lyric, Journey, Bridge, Story Valentine, and Manhattan. Bethany and her husband Jesse opened The Cocoa Tree in Franklin, TN five years ago in part as a means by which they could nurture their children and stay connected as a family. They believe The Cocoa Tree is a vehicle for communicating their chocolate philosophy: chocolate is evidence that God delights in our pleasure!
You can keep up with Bethany on a more personal level through her blog at Bethany : Chocolatier.
