Meet Mark Burrows | Chocolate Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Burrows and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve always had a deep love of chocolate. Even though I refused it in most cases when I was a child. I knew instinctively that there was something special about this food but didn’t have the words for it. All chocolate at that time was either Hershey’s or at best Lindt or Godiva, all were pretty much the same to me. Then in 2010 I came across a new chocolate in the grocery store that changed my world. Scharffen Berger was a bean to bar maker out of San Francisco. They were doing it right. All the flavor, all the nuance of cacao was coming to life. I spent the next 20 years tracking down other makers and tasting their products.
In 2019 I decided to try my hand at making my own chocolate. I have never done anything like this before but I was going to find out if I could do it. By the end of 2019 I had established my brand, put out bars that the publiked in my small town and decided that I could make a go of it. 2020 I would spend working at my regular job (photographer) to build the capitol to grow the business. And then COVID hit. Suddenly, without a job and locked down at home, I produced enough chocolate to pay my bills (with the help of my generous landlord who forgave several months of rent) I spent the next two years of lockdown learning and researching and making chocolate from home when there was nothing else to do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I didn’t start out in food. Although I have always been a “foodie” but never ascribed to that title. I think I just get bored easily. I’ve worked in restaurants in every capacity, computer repair, Audio/visual technician, parent, beekeeper, and now chocolate maker. This one is sticking with me, the others, except for beekeeping are jobs I’ve fallen into, beekeeping and chocolate making were both something I fell in love with and pursued.
At this point in time there are hundreds of chocolate makers in the US. It’s an industry that only started really 20 years ago. There is still a lot of room to grow, the goal is to make it as strong as the craft coffee industry with their ethos on farmer care and great taste. Virtually all craft chocolates have signed on to the plan of taking care of the farmers by paying them a living wage which means about commodity chocolate pricing. We have always paid 3-5 times more for our beans than industry standards. But in return we expect the best beans that have been properly fermented and dried. They are paid for their expertise.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My little town is a hot spot for adventure. We have rivers for rafting, tubing, paddleboarding, fishing or just hanging out next to. Our restaurants are all exceptional, with several varieties of cuisine. I have no complaints about any of them and if there’s a night to go out to eat we have a difficult choice with what to choose. We also host climbing,hiking and mountain biking with a very strong outdoor community.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My friends, family and neighbors in my small town have always been there to buy my products and support me with kind words that this was needed in the area and the world. But really I need to thank the Internet. Without it’s inexhaustible supply of knowledge, zoom meetings, classes and connection to others in the same boat I would have never been able to get this far. The Fine Chocolate Industry Association for their meetings, Ecole Chocolate for their classes, and all of the growers, makers, agronomists, mechanics, troubleshooters, and others who helped me along this path.

Website: https://www.pollinatorchocolate.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pollinatorchocolate/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pollinatorchocolate

Image Credits
Mark Burrows