Estelle Tracy is a chocolate sommelier based in Kennett Square. Originally from France, she discovered the world of bean-to-bar chocolate after reviewing 37 chocolate bars in honor of her 37th birthday on Halloween 2015. The challenge opened her eyes to the unique flavors, stories, and makers behind craft chocolate. Since then, she’s shared this world with others through hundreds of tastings around the globe.

Estelle is also the author of a food survival guide for French people in the U.S. and the founder of 37 Chocolates, a chocolate education company. Learn more at 37chocolates.com.

You’re originally from France – tell us about your journey to the US and your current city, Philadelphia.

I came to the US in 2002 for a one-and-a-half year contract with a French company. I met my husband in the company cafeteria and decided to stay! After working in corporate for about 10 years, I made a complete career change. In 2015, I was about to turn 37. To celebrate, I posted YouTube reviews of 37 (mostly) single origin chocolate bars. That evolved into my business – 37 Chocolates. Now I share the flavors and stories of the people behind each chocolate bar. I love helping people understand their palate without the “rules” and snobbery that can come with it.

How did your background prepare you for this career?

I have a master’s degree in analytical chemistry, but my food writing experience was actually more valuable. Back in 2004, I discovered blogging through Gourmet magazine and started one of the first food blogs in French. I wrote for people like me – French expats living outside of their traditional food environment. My blog helped other French people learn how to adapt American ingredients to suit traditional recipes. Writing that blog – at what became the height of the flood blogging movement – helped me find what I wanted to communicate about food. I wanted to educate on complex topics without diluting the message, and create a space where readers could remove the pretension from food. Today I use that same approach – helping focus on the flavors that resonate with them, with accessible education along the way.

What was the turning point when your hobby became a business?

It must’ve been a slow news day, but a local journalist put me on the cover of the Chester County Press after we met at a winery! Then a librarian saw it and offered me money for a chocolate tasting. That absolutely blew my mind – the idea that someone would pay me for this! The tasting I did at the library became my first professional gig. It gave me credibility, but showed me that I had something valuable to offer. From there, I just kept building as I responded to what my students wanted. Wine and chocolate pairings were a natural next step, and so was digging into the larger industry behind a bar. Today I teach both about flavor and the diverse array of artisans who bring it to life.

What’s your approach to teaching people about chocolate?

I make things simple but without dumbing them down. Chocolate is actually a very complex food, but I believe you can learn about anything if it’s explained properly. If you assume intelligence in your audience, you’ll find you can break down quite a bit. So my approach is “simple but not simplistic.” I invite people to trust their own taste as a starting point in my tastings. It invites students into centering their sensation of taste – not a YouTuber’s or magazine’s. It’s the best antidote to food snobbery I’ve found, which is truly at the core of everything I do.

How have you built a community around your business?

I wanted to do more than just one-hour talks and then disappear. I approach each event with the goal of giving people a reason to return. Yesterday I did an event, and three out of seven attendees I’d known for five years! Now it feels like we’re just hanging out, reminiscing about past tastings. I love seating newcomers with regulars so they can introduce them and make them feel welcome. It’s about creating a community of lifelong learners who also like to have fun. When you get people like that together, the community creates itself as new discoveries become shared. That’s also one of my core values in the business – putting people at the center of everything.

What major challenges have you faced building this business?

The first four years were like crawling through the desert. I constantly questioned myself – “Am I insane? Is this a good idea?” Then when the business finally started taking off, COVID hit. I had to restructure everything. How I found clients, what I offered, how I offered it, etc… It took time to work. In 2022, I had 2,000 chocolate bars in my basement and no clue on how to sell them. I decided to get creative with new offerings, and created a ticketed event that drew in a repeat corporate client [Note to Yumi: I signed my first corporate client in 2020]. I was able to tie the tasting to a topical theme in workplace development, which helped me secure a tasting event contract for their 100 employees. I was able to move some of that inventory, and build out a whole new offering at the same time.

You mention putting “people first” in business decisions. Can you share an example?

In 2022, while dealing with my inventory crisis, a respected colleague had to exit the industry due to health issues. She asked if I wanted to buy her chocolate. I absolutely didn’t need 300 more bars on top of my 2,000, and really had to grapple with adding more financial risk to my position. But I thought, “If she had to do a GoFundMe, would I donate? Absolutely.” There was more dignity in buying her chocolate than giving charity. So I said yes – which took my inventory to 2,300. That money was hard-won, and tested the resolve of my “people first” values. But as hard as it was, I’d do it again. It taught me my business could be more than just my livelihood – it could stand for more.

How did you make that decision work financially? What did you do on the business side to stay afloat?

I’m no finance expert, but for a long time now I’ve used a finance and bookkeeping app called Wave. I can generate invoices in a couple of clicks, check cash flow and profit, and projected income. Wave’s tools also make tax season a breeze – hello, pretty P&L! Having that snapshot gave me the confidence to go all in on supporting my colleague back in 2022. I gained a valuable lesson that I hope others will learn from too – money is a tool to live in alignment with your values. That changed my perspective on entrepreneurship quite a bit.

What extra educational opportunities do you offer?

Beyond tastings, I started hosting events like free storytelling sessions with experts from chocolate-producing regions. A couple of weeks ago, I featured someone from Ecuador discussing a controversial chocolate hybrid. I want people to understand complex topics without making swift judgments. It’s about connecting chocolate lovers with people from all over the world and providing enough information for them to make informed decisions.

Where do you see yourself and your business in the future?

I’m in it for the long term! You don’t retire from chocolate – you just stay in it till you’re in the retirement community. Taking this “people first” approach isn’t the easy route, but if you’re in it for the long term as I am, it’s worth it. I’m looking at another 30 years in this business.

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