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| 3, Boulevard Victor Hugo |
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Phone +33 (0)4.90.92.38.25 |
| 13210 Saint Rémy de Provence - France |
Fax +33 (0)4.32.60.00.68 |
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 Joël Durand is not like other chocolate makers. After twenty four years experience, he has become an artist in the art of taste. Settled (established) in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence for ten years, he has impregnated his art with the mediterranean perfumes, mainly provençal, to confection exceptionnal chocolates Nut Brittle made with Provence almonds and Baux Valley black olives, dark chocolate with bitter sweet honey, to be tasted here in a shop where the discreet smell of cocoa and the perfume of Provence herbs mingle in perfect harmony.
Each piece of his collection, each chocolate therefore, carries a letter of the alphabet which indicates its flavour. There, thyme, rosemary and violets mix, depending upon the seasons along with the Ching Hao jasmine, the star anise and the Szechwan pepper according to and drifting with, tastes and words.
"Each flavour is a pure creation. I imagine the tastes. I retranslate them afterwards..."
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 As far as failed presents go, I excel often, unfortunately. I have offered Burgundy wines to fans of Bordeaux (clarets), candied fruits to diabetics, foie gras to militant vegetarians.
But today, I no longer have this problem ; when I don’t know the tastes of those I wish to favour, I take them Joël Durand chocolates. If they love chocolate, obviously they are happy ; but it’s more interesting when they are not “chocaholics” because once over the surprise then comes the moment of discovery.
Nothing pleases me more than to witness the birth of a vice...
I travelled through Cognac to see Mr Hennessy, I visited Clermond-Ferrand without meeting Mr Michelin and at Roanne despite having parked at the station, I was not able to check if the “Troisgros” brothers were in fact only two.
But in St Rémy de Provence, you have to be really dishonest or be looking constantly at the ground not to see Joël Durand. His name is written in red above the shop and if one looks underneath in the shop window, the man dressed in white, that’s him. On top of that, he’s lively, talkative and if you walk in he’ll say to you : “A chocolate?”
Bruno Heitz
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