'I left my job as a beauty therapist and retrained as a chocolatier and now sell sweet treats from my Shrewsbury kitchen to customers across the UK'
Life is sweet for trained Shrewsbury chocolatier Anna Cartledge who has a job that many people would envy.
She crafts a wide array of tempting treats from gooey cookies with tasty fillings and egg-free cookie dough that can be eaten straight from the pot to mouth-watering bars of Belgian chocolate.
Her business, Chezzanna Choc n Bakes, supplies cafes and coffee shops in the Shrewsbury area and also sells directly to customers through its website.
A career change led Anna into the world of chocolate-making and baking around 11 years ago.
“I was a hair and beauty therapist for many years but I wanted to do something completely different.
“I decided to train as a chocolatier, as you do, and went to the Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Banbury,” says Anna, who spent time working with established chocolate companies in London.
Eager to hone her skills and widen her knowledge, Anna attended a course run by pastry chef and chocolatier Mark Tilling, winner of the UK Chocolate Master in 2007 and 2009; and winner of the first edition of Bake Off Crème de la Crème.
“I also started to dabble in sugar craft and cakes. I wanted to get as much experience as possible so I worked at the famous Betty’s Tearoom in Harrogate.
“I also went to Brittany, France, for a week to receive one-to-one training from an experienced pastry chef,” explains Anna.
The name for her business comes from her childhood nickname.
“When I was little, my sister used to call me cherub and then as I got older, she shortened it to Chezz,” she says.
The 41-year-old works with high quality Belgian chocolate and infuses it with natural flavours.
