Edible Works of Art
John Down’s chocolate has been featured on popular shows like “Martha Stewart”, NBC’s “Today”, “Vicki Gabereau”, and featured in magazines like Oprah, Martha Stewart, as well as The New York Times. The founder of Christopher Norman Chocolates, John is an artist, chocolatier and entrepreneur. John and his partner Joe experienced huge success in New York—then one day they decided to sell everything and move to Halfmoon Bay in Sechelt. (Well, they sold almost everything; they did keep a few key pieces of equipment needed to make their world-famous chocolate!) From working with celebrities in the big apple to re-inventing themselves on the West Coast/Best Coast, their story is a delicious one.
You started your career as an artist, so how did you discover the art of chocolate?
Quite by accident! I had made chocolates for one of my art events and some of my guests had brought chocolates from Paris. Among my guests were Japanese chocolate aficionadas who wanted to know where the chocolates came from. They were my catalysts for getting us into the chocolate world.
Where did you launch Christopher Norman Chocolates?
We launched in New York City in 1992, when we had a small atelier off The Bowery on Freeman Alley.
Share with us your journey into the world of chocolatier meets artist.
As I learned more about chocolates and its properties, I started painting on chocolate with cocoa butter and colouring, as well as doing chocolate paintings. For example, when Hermès launched its new flagship store in Tokyo, I was commissioned to do five large paintings in chocolate for the event. (You can check them out at cnchocolates.com.)
You have been featured in high-profile articles and television shows, and you have been celebrated by so many celebrities. How has this impacted your business as a chocolatier and artist?
Our first article in The New York Times put us on the map in New York City as a fine chocolatier. When we did our first chocolate show in New York City, Martha Stewart came first to our booth, spent time speaking with us, and she was really excited by the visual aspects of our work, which included the chocolate paintings on the walls and displays of our packaged chocolates. That led to the TV show I did with Martha and the inclusion of several of our pieces in her catalog.
With all the press we received, our Christopher Norman Chocolates expanded into Japan, and I had several exhibitions of my paintings in Japan, while touring the chocolates. We were invited to the Tokyo Chocolate Show in 2005, where I presented my art and chocolate pieces, and also did chocolate paintings. Interestingly enough, the theme of the 2006 show was “Art and Chocolate.”
How has merging your gift as an artist and chocolatier allowed you to continue to pursue both your passions?
I approached the chocolate world as an artist, which gave my work a unique presence at the time, including designing the packaging.
You grew up in West Vancouver and moved to New York to pursue your dream of becoming a painter, so what inspired you to move back to Canada from New York City to the Sunshine Coast?
After doing something for 20 years in one place, you want to do it somewhere else. We wanted to move away from the yin of New York City to the yang of the Sunshine Coast. Also, 9/11 and its results played havoc in the NYC community.
You and your partner Joe went from living in NYC with a population 8 million to Halfmoon Bay, which is home to around 2,800, which is a huge change. What do you love the most about living on the Sunshine Coast?
It is beautiful here and we live in an area overlooking the ocean. We like extremes, and NYC is one extreme, just as the Sunshine Coast is an extreme when compared to NYC.
Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to buy someone we love some great chocolate; can you share with us some of the delicious and beautiful chocolates you will be creating for this season of love?
Actually, any day is a great day for buying and experiencing chocolates! For Valentine’s Day this year, I am going to make a selection of chocolate hearts in a box with a heart design on it. Martha Stewart loved our hearts!
Where are your chocolates sold in the world?
We sell up and down the Sunshine Coast, as well as The Market Garden in Victoria and at Meinhardt’s in Vancouver and Pusateri’s in Toronto. We also have our website, which gives us international exposure.
What’s next for you and your partner Joe Guilano? 
Joe is a talented musician and brilliant businessman. We started from humble beginnings in a small kitchen in Soho, and now we are loving this next chapter of our lives on the West Coast. Joe’s expertly handled the business over the years. We hope we can pass our expertise on to the next generation. Artists never retire, but we would love to see Christopher Norman Chocolates continue to delight people for years to come.
