BE Chocolat Shop Opens in Fairfield from Belgian Master Chocolatier Benoit Racquet

Allow me to preface this article with a warning.  Once you’ve experienced master chocolatier Benoit Racquet’s Belgian chocolates, there really is no turning back. These confections, made with Callebaut Fairtrade’s finest chocolate and a whole lot of food-science based love, are highly craveworthy and bordering on sensual. Benoit and his wife Sylvie, have been in the business of chocolate for over five years, but last week marked a special milestone for this team…the grand opening of their first retail shop, BE Chocolat, located at 75 Hillside Rd in Fairfield CT. 

Before we dive into BE’s inspired confections menu, it’s important to understand that BE Chocolat is not just a beautiful sweet boutique to satisfy your chocolate yearning.  Chef Benoit has been creating and selling his chocolate throughout the Fairfield County area for years, and in doing so, has built a serious fanbase.  BE’s opening menu is based on multiple years of listening closely to his customers and marrying his mastery of the craft of chocolate with customer feedback. Benoit says, his “mission is not just to create a strong brand, but to create community around our love of food, travel and shared culinary experiences.”  

Their passion for creating community can be seen in their European-style artist’s workshop (atelier)/  retail shop designed by Fairfield architect Christian Arkay-Leliever. This unique space features a flexible kitchen-retail space offering guests an opportunity to watch and appreciate the production of mouthwatering Belgian chocolates while they shop. The unique format, with industrial glass and metal mullion work, opens up to create space for classes and future events, of which they plan to have many. When I asked what Benoit and Sylvie find most rewarding in their day-to-day work, they agreed, without a moment’s pause, that it was the interaction with their customers and their partnerships with local businesses that feed this cocoa bean fueled fire. 

I was lucky enough to visit with Benoit and Sylvie on opening week to tour the atelier and do a thorough tasting of their product line. Their current Belgian chocolate menu includes 15 hand crafted chocolates, each with a completely unique flavor profile. These confections are not something you pop in your mouth absentmindedly. These are meant to be savored, and experienced as you would a fine wine, or perfectly pulled shot of espresso. Chocolate is prepared from the fruit of the Theobroma cacao, a tropical tree whose name means "food of the gods" in Greek. As I made my way through this menu, I couldn’t help thinking that the Greeks had really nailed it. 

Racquet explained the importance of the interaction of the heat of your mouth as the chocolate slowly melts, and each flavor is released. For instance, his Pink Sesame is a food lover’s medley that combines milk chocolate with toasted sesame oil, Tuscany balsamic gel, and finishes with the subtle saltiness of cracked pink Himalaya salt.  Each chocolate in the collection yields its layered essence in a unique way. The Black Forest is Benoit’s favorite, partially due to the labor intensity of this tiny one bite treat. Alsace Kirschwasser (brandy distilled from the fermented juice of the black morello cherry found in the Black Forest of Germany), and candied cherries (made by reducing Bon Maman marmalade) are combined within a dark chocolate shell and drizzled with white chocolate. This one made me stop and close my eyes to properly savor the moment.

The Ruby Passion is an intense burst of passion fruit ganache housed in unsweetened Ruby chocolate, an almost tropical experience. His Salted Caramels are also outrageous, made with grass fed butter and cream,  and yielding a creamy center speckled with the wonderful mouthfeel of cracked sea salt.  I could go on all day, but I will share just one more before you go forth and explore for yourselves, as it would be a travesty if we didn’t introduce you to BE’s Praliné. His praliné is made with slow roasted almonds and hazelnuts, made in the ancestral Piedmont technique of very small batches, creating that crunchy salty sweet center that dreams are made of. Benoit’s is the best praliné I’ve ever had. What’s additionally nice about BE’s chocolate is that none of the confections are cloying in any way, so you can eat quite a few. 

It is also worth noting that BE Chocolat has put a premium on supporting local CT artisans, and in reviewing the menu, you will find that they have partnered with a number of local CT businesses. His Gin and T ganache uses both Fifth State Distillery’s Gin and Bigelow’s Earl Grey black tea. and you will find the pleasing taste of Shearwater Coffee’s Organic cold brew in the mocha ganache filled Coffee Cup. 

How can you get engaged with BE Chocolat? Go visit the store, chat with Benoit and Sylvie, or schedule a virtual tasting or wine/champagne and chocolate pairing class. “Right now, we will continue offering virtual tasting events, which we created during the pandemic in response to customers’ needs,” says Sylvie. “In addition, we now will also be able to provide a new, convenient curbside pickup service. It is very exciting.”

“This is a very good start of the year and proof of confidence that the future is bright. We look forward to continuing to share the love of Belgian chocolate,” said Racquet.

BE Chocolat

75 Hillside Rd, Fairfield, CT

http://www.bechocolat.com/

(203) 292-5981