Penticton鈥檚 newest chocolatiers are bringing a twist with their craft 鈥� their decadent French chocolates are vegan.
Celine Nativel and David Mullner opened Maison Mulnati French Vegan Chocolates, located at 756 Eckhardt Ave West, in mid-September. The pair sampled chocolates across Canada before settling in the Okanagan and agreed that they couldn鈥檛 find what they were looking for.
鈥淗ere the chocolates are sweeter. In France, we are more focused on the bitterness of the cocoa,鈥� said Nativel. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 very intense flavours. We鈥檝e had people taste our chocolates who have visited France and they say 鈥業t鈥檚 just like being back in France.鈥欌��
The couple and their two children lived on Reunion Island, a region of France that has a tropical climate, before moving to Canada. Nativel explained that humidity greatly affects the process of making chocolate, which is why they wanted to pursue their craft here.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have an air conditioner, and working with chocolate in 32 degrees Celsius with a lot of moisture around, it was not possible,鈥� said Nativel. 鈥淎nd we still wanted to have our chocolate. So when we arrived here it was easier, even to experiment with it at home.鈥�
Their family made the switch to a healthier lifestyle, which is why they chose to pursue vegan recipes for their chocolates. Although they use different ingredients than traditional chocolatiers, they believe the quality of their chocolates is not affected.
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鈥淲hy vegan? Because a few years ago, we realized a lot of things and decided to change our diet,鈥� said Nativel. 鈥淪o of course when we were looking, other chocolates contained milk and different kind of dairies like butter or eggs. So there was not a lot of possibilities for vegans to have good chocolate.鈥�
鈥淲e always try to reduce the sugar as much as we can to have first the flavour of the element. For example, we use organic fruits, and we want to find a good balance between all the ingredients,鈥� said Nativel. 鈥淥r if we use jam or jelly we鈥檒l reduce the sugar. Usually, when you add a lot of sugar it鈥檚 about preservation.鈥�
Although they have come across customers hesitant to try their chocolates, Mullner said once they try a sample, they always receive the same response. The two take great pride in their craft, even taking the time to soak the seeds and nuts they use in their chocolates overnight, then drying them at a low temperature so as to break down the enzyme in them that humans can鈥檛 digest.
鈥淭hey know it鈥檚 a vegan product and they鈥檒l go 鈥業鈥檓 not vegan鈥� but we say to just try it anyway and it鈥檚 always just 鈥楳mmmmm鈥� every time it鈥檚 the same thing,鈥� Mullner said with a laugh. 鈥淚 love hearing that.鈥�
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鈥淲e had a woman come in to ask questions and get information not to buy anything, then at the end, we gave her a sample and she ended up leaving with three boxes of chocolates,鈥� said Nativel.
Nativel was previously a psychologist and Mullner was a physiotherapist before they took up the craft of chocolatiers. They agree they enjoy working together and Nativel appreciates the opportunity to be creative with her work.
鈥淚 have so many ideas, always 鈥業 have to do that, I have to try that鈥� 鈥� so it鈥檚 always creative,鈥� said Nativel with a chuckle. 鈥淲e worked separately before, but I鈥檓 not fed up with (Mullner), I鈥檒l keep him.鈥�
Since they鈥檝e opened, Mullner and Nativel have developed nearly 30 unique recipes, saying that while they did attend some classes, they didn鈥檛 receive much help as the instructors weren鈥檛 familiar with vegan alternatives they could use in place of dairy ingredients.
Their kids are appreciative of the family business, especially as taste testers for new recipes. While they have some time before they need to decide if they want to follow in mom and dad鈥檚 footsteps, they get to see what goes on behind the scenes firsthand.
鈥淭hey are happy for sure, they always ask how they can help like 鈥榃hat can we do?鈥�,鈥� said Mullner.
鈥淢y son was asked if he鈥檇 be a chocolatier and he said no, but then maybe,鈥� laughed Nativel. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not in his school program, but he can be whatever he wants to be. We did it because we wanted a change.鈥�
To learn more about Maison Mulnati French Vegan Chocolates, visit their or . Those looking to place orders for the holidays are advised to do so before Dec. 15.
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
<>Jordyn Thomson | Reporter
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