My Story
Cioccolato Povero Origins
Reflecting on the 9 years I spent in Europe, learning, living and working in the most beautiful places on earth, it seems surreal.
I went to a small culinary school in Vitznau next to Lake Luzern called DCT (the school no longer exists but has been bought out and renamed Culinary Arts Academy). Then I completed my 9 months training in Wil, about 1 hour northeast of Zurich. The chefs at the school were Patrick Diethelm and Urs Meichtry. . My first work experience was at the Hotel Kronenhof in Pontresina, which is a seasonal hotel that looks like it belongs in a Bond movie. This was one of the toughest jobs I have experienced. I was always nervous and stressed during service because I was afraid I was going to ruin someone’s dinner but I prevailed and it made me stronger. I would go back there in a heartbeat.
This was followed by a brief stint in Ireland, not too far from the Ring of Kerry in a small town called Kenmare. The Sheen Falls Lodge is where I started to get comfortable in the kitchen and my organizational skills, speed and efficiency improved.
From there, I was off to Italy- my parent’s homeland- and the Sudtirol area to the north, bordering Austria. The town of Brunico, Bolzano and the 3 years spent there will always have a special place in my heart. I worked at a small pastry shop called Acherer Patisserie Blumen and at the time there were only 2 chefs and the owner, Andreas Acherer. He had only been in business for about a year or so when I joined them. We became good friends almost immediately and we had some great times together. The pastry shop specializes in; cakes, wedding cakes, desserts, viennoiserie, confection, seasonal products and macarons. He now has a second shop in Bolzano, more chefs, a bigger production facility and is a member of Relais Dessert. His family made my stay truly memorable. They treated me like a member of their family, a son. I will forever be grateful for all they did for me.
I also formed 3 other friendships while in Europe. Andi, Isobel and Claudia will always have a special place in my heart and life...thank you.
My last stop was in Vienna, Austria where I worked for a company called Oberlaa. They have approximately 9 shops in and around the city with one big multifaceted production facility on the outskirts of Vienna. They also produce just about everything and at first I was initially employed in the pastry section. Then, I worked in the confection room. It was an invaluable experience. In making confection for all 9 shops, I learned to be extremely organized, efficient, and hone complex forward thinking culinary skills. There were some long days especially near Christmas but it was very rewarding.
Since my time in Europe, I have been preparing for the launch of my first product. I never thought it would take me this long but it has been a learning experience for sure and in the end, I just wanted to create something unique and as the Italians say “Fatto a mano”, made by hand. I will always strive to achieve the highest quality or improve upon that which I have created and to produce as much “Fatto a mano” as possible.
Maurizio Le Donne
The Crash Collection
The expressions of love that you can taste.
