Currently at the head of two brands in Bordeaux (south-west France), with international expansion plans, particularly in Casablanca, her hometown, the young entrepreneur had to try “lots of jobs” upon her arrival in France before crossing “the path of chocolate”, she confided to MAP.
“I chose the profession of chocolatier because I have a sweet tooth and because I really appreciate this material which I find extraordinary,” admits this fulfilled mother of two daughters.
But the real “trigger”, she says, came with the birth of her eldest, pushed forward by an equally passionate husband who, a graphic designer by profession, did not hesitate to join her in this family adventure by contributing to the creation of the cases showcasing her delicacies.
Looking for a career change, the model who started out as a model was still hesitating a few years ago between a career as a chef or a florist, driven by the desire to explore “a plant-based product”, before settling on chocolate in 2012, the year of her notable participation in the show Masterchef, an amateur cooking competition with a high audience on French television.
“I had just had my daughter and it wasn’t compatible to work in catering with my life as a young mother,” she explains, before continuing: “my passion for chocolate ended up winning out in my choice of career.”
From her time on Masterchef, the now confirmed chocolatier remembers a “great experience” which was also her first contact with French gastronomy, before obtaining a year later her professional aptitude certificate (CAP) as a chocolatier-confectioner.
Above all, she says, the competition allowed her to “learn a little more about how we think about taste and flavors” in France, a country known worldwide for its gastronomy and its art of living.
“It was really very enriching because of the contact with other candidates and professionals,” says the woman who, after internships with renowned French chocolatiers, was able to launch her own brand in Bordeaux in 2014: Hasnaâ Chocolats Grands Crus.
Very quickly, Hasnaâ made a name for herself as a chocolatier, and earned recognition from her peers in France. In 2016, she won the AWARD for best chocolatier of the year, equivalent to 3 Michelin stars in the chocolate industry, and then went on to accumulate the most prestigious awards.
The Women in the Economy Trophy rewarding female business leaders in France, and that of Moroccans around the world which she received this year in Marrakech nevertheless remain, in her eyes, the distinctions dearest to her heart.
The secret of her success? She attributes it to the originality of her creations and the particularity of her approach to raw materials.
“The approach that I wanted to highlight by creating my company is to promote the local aspect of chocolate and to enhance the noble raw material without distorting it too much,” explains this promoter of the “Bean to bar” philosophy.
Her chocolate factory is, in fact, one of the few to manufacture directly “from bean to bar” a very large part of its production, making sure to preserve the material with the concern of avoiding adding possible substances likely to alter its nature. The cocoa used in her recipes comes from renowned markets in Latin America (Brazil, Nicaragua and Peru), but also from Asia (Philippines and India) and Africa (Uganda and Tanzania), so many countries and cultures that she has been able to discover and explore thanks to chocolate.
In addition to the “Bean to bar” bars, presented as the “signature products” of its brand, its offering has expanded with a so-called “classic” range, composed of a variety of chocolate, ganache and praline candies, sold in boxes of different quantities, and another called “gourmandises” comprising coated preserves (oranges, marshmallows, ginger) and spreads, including one based on Moroccan olive oil.
A way of bringing a Moroccan touch to her creations, which are now popular with a loyal Bordeaux clientele who appreciate the chocolatier’s audacity in incorporating ingredients reflecting her origins: coriander, anise, etc.
More than a wink, Hasnaâ finds “totally natural” this tendency to “draw a little on our childhood memories to be able to create, because that’s all we know”.
“It’s clear and simple, when I touch a product to work with it, my brain searches my distant memory. These ingredients are engraved there. So I couldn’t imagine actually working on recipes without incorporating them,” she admits.
Hasnaâ intends to go even further by already imagining “special creations” for the next opening of her boutique in Casablanca, which she hopes to complete by the end of the year or at the latest in spring 2025, a peak period for chocolate sales.
It is counting on these products, based on argan, orange blossom and dates, to enrich its range, to be marketed both in France and in Morocco.
This also includes “fantasy” tablets, including one with “gazelle horns” currently being designed, she reveals.
On the eve of exploring new markets, with Japan and the United States also in her sights, it is as a lucid business leader that she assures today that her ambitions “are not just financial or economic”, the strategy of her chocolate factory being dictated first, she says, by “passion and the desire to see her company evolve in a very healthy and serene way, to be able to face the difficulties of life”.
This conviction allows him to approach the future with confidence and the feeling of having made the right career choice.
“Chocolate is really the material that reconciled me with work, opening up a path for me that I had never even imagined. By working with chocolate, I never imagined that I would discover so many countries and learn so much,” she confirms.
And to conclude: “If I have something to say to those who are starting an activity or retraining, it is to continue to believe in yourself and above all to be aligned with your own values. This is very important because all of this is felt, and the client appreciates this sincerity and honesty.”
2024-08-19 09:52:14