Tim Gearhart, Founder/Owner
Origins
I started as a pastry chef after culinary school in the mid-90s. My culinary journey started much earlier than that. I was always a kid who was interested in food. I joined the Marine Corps as a cook, which is kind of random. I didn’t think it would mean much in the future, but it ended up meaning a lot. Foundations were laid, like attention to detail and repetition, parts of every day in a chocolatier’s life. It’s a connection I never would have dreamed of. It was something that really mattered.
I went to CIA [Culinary Institute of America] around the time the baking and pastry program just started there. I was a starving 20-year-old. I got my first job, kind of an externship, at Keswick Hall. Brand new kid off the bus. I worked for an Austrian pastry chef who ended up leaving in a very dramatic labor dispute. I was suddenly the de facto pastry chef. This was a Country House hotel owned by Sir Bernard Ashley of Laura Ashley fame. I hung on there for about a year and then I ended up meeting my future business partner, Bill Hamilton. I was his first pastry chef at Hamilton’s at First and Main, which is a very classic restaurant.
Bill and I reconnected in the late-90s during the changing of American chocolate tastes. We were fairly intrigued by the boutique European-style chocolate shop, and there were not many in the U.S. at that point. I think we were very encouraged by that. There was L.A. Burdick. Vosges had just started. But there weren’t a lot of other places like that. This was 2000. Bill was in Charlottesville. I’m from Charlottesville. It’s a great food town. He said, “if you ever want to do a chocolate shop, Charlottesville would be a great fit.” In November, it will be our 25th year.
Company Mission
We’re not interested in chasing trends. We’re a little more interested in taking things that have been around a long time – for instance, candied pecans – and then putting our spin on them. So we’re introducing chai spice three different times in our process. We introduced miso caramel ten years ago. It’s a testament to our approach to more modern chocolate. When you see salted caramel at Whole Foods, you’re starting to get a little tired, looking for maybe a different take. As a pastry chef, I made a miso caramel sauce and I thought that would make an amazing caramel. It has this umami factor, the natural saltiness of miso and toasted sesame seeds. It was an interesting take on something that’s been around a long time.
Signature Products
We do an interesting version of a dark caramel. It was made with Virginia red wine in mind. Anytime I can pair local products or use local products – which is tough when you have a chocolate shop and your main product is made thousands of miles away — it’s nice to find ways, whether it’s local honey, wines, beers, distilleries, it’s really nice. Virginia wines are a big thing now. They were recently voted Wine Spectator’s top region. So, our dark chocolate caramel is made with balsamic vinegar, a bit of cracked black pepper and then it’s finished with Maldon sea salt and Valrhona extra bittersweet cocoa powder.
The other product would be our pistachio toffee. It’s a little different in that it’s a little darker. We cook it a little further. It’s not your average English toffee. It’s definitely on the darker side and that’s to give it a little more of a bite to stand up to the bitterness of the chocolate, and we’re using Dominica Republica.
Equipment ‘Must-Haves’
We have a Dedy enrober and that machine has revolutionized our process. It’s an 18-inch belt enrober that has taken us to that next level of chocolate making and crafting. The thing I like about it is that it’s not a temperer as well, so we the temper the chocolate and get it perfect and then use the enrober and I have a lot more control.
Bill and I started with a little dipper bowl, a six-pound bowl of chocolate with forks, and we were hand-dipping every single piece. We didn’t have a lot of resources — we’ve never taken outside money — so we were trying and trying to get air bubbles out of our chocolate. This was 2008. There wasn’t a ton of special equipment that there is now. We got a dentist to order us one of the little denture shakers and we use it to this day to shake out bubbles. It works like a charm.
Production Tips
Find the right people and don’t be afraid to delegate. We have a kitchen staff of 15. I can’t be everywhere. Having the right people with the right skill set has really helped us. I have one employee who’s been with us for 24 of the 25 years, and many of them over ten years. Find the right people, invest in them and don’t be afraid to give them responsibilities.
Secrets of Success
Especially in chocolate, I think you have to bring something new to the table, something other than origins. Having a fresh perspective is important to break the molds a little bit.
Another thing is my business partner is a savory chef by trade. The fact that I have a background in baking and pastry and food science is very important. We understand both. Also, having a true, authentic story of two chefs who started this business – Bill is a little more on the business side – having the authentic background in flavor profiles, recipes, understanding these things makes it an authentic approach. The chocolate and pastry worlds have changed dramatically over 25 years. I have former employees who have opened up shops. Not being afraid has made us better.
I recently went and got some technical assistance from another chocolatier. That was kind of hard for me, but I think he brought us a different perspective. Being willing to put yourself out there and make a change is important; complacency can be your biggest enemy. We were having a few issues with Virginia humidity in the summer months. He was able to come in and help us alleviate some of that with tweaks in some of our recipes. I can’t even tell you how thankful I am for something like that. I don’t mind asking for help. I think that’s okay.
Future Plans
Our exit plan is something we’re thinking about, but I think it’s about options more than anything else. Over 25 years, you have a brand and it means something. It’s one of my favorite compliments when somebody says, “Oh, gosh I see the dark brown box with copper ribbon and I know what that is. It’s Gearharts and it’s good.” Talk about humbling. It’s my name and I want to make people happy with chocolate forever. How many people get to do this? So, Bill and I, being very practical, are starting to think about what the next steps will be. We want to get our processes really written down in terms of payroll and production. As long as it brings me the joy it does, I’m going to keep doing it. I still love chocolate. I eat it every single day. I love having a business that can bring that much happiness – and nostalgia – to them.
For more info, visit www.instagram.com/gearhartschocolates
(This article appeared in the Summer 32 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)
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