North Texas chocolatier with ties to Lahaina raising funds after Maui fires
NORTHLAKE, (CBSNewsTexas.com) - At The Touring Chocolatier in Northlake, owner Kay Thibodeaux sells chocolates from all over the world. Hawaiian chocolates take up an entire section of her shop.
"Hawaii is the only place in the United States that can grow cacao because you can only grow cacao 20° North and 20° South of the equator and Maui's Ku'ia is just doing chocolate different," she said. "It's got just a little bit of a tang to it so when you taste their chocolate it's like nothing you've ever tried before."
In 2021, she toured the company's factory and farm. It made such an impression she went back the next year.
"I got to spend a week on the farm and we were there every single day for a week actually doing everything that a farmer would do," she said.
The employees quickly became close friends.
"They're just really down-to-earth people," she said.
Last week, she immediately tried to reach them after learning about the devastating, deadly wildfires.
"It's been extremely emotional for me every single day," she said.
The farm was severely damaged. Thankfully, employees are safe, but several lost their homes.
"I know every single employee there and knowing which ones are safe and which ones don't have anything right now... all I can do right now is to try to raise some funds that go back directly to them," she said.
She's decided to host a series of Maui Ku'ia Estate Chocolate-inspired classes at her shop.
"So the first thing that we're going to do is talk about the farm and the factory and then we're going to taste," she said.
Attendees will also learn how to roll truffles.
"We're going to charge a minimal amount, $35 per person and we can hold 10 people in the class at a time," she said. "Then, for every one of those classes, we'll donate 100%. That's all I can do."
If you're interested in attending classes at The Touring Chocolatier, click here.
You can also see Thibodeaux at the Dallas Chocolate Festival. She'll be there September 8 -10.