The Central App has met a few interesting Central workers this summer to provide readers with a peek into their work lives.

Today, meet Aksh Nagpal – maker of hand-crafted chocolates based in Cromwell. Keep an eye out for the Coco Canvas stand at local markets around Central.

What is your profession?

I am a qualified pastry chef/chocolatier with six years of experience working at places like Fergbaker, Botswana Butchery, and Frank’s Eatery in Queenstown. Currently, I run a chocolate business – Coco Canvas – and work part time at the Stoaker Room as a grille chef.

My Partner, Dimple, is a salesperson in Queenstown and she helps me with the business.

Describe a typical day at work. 

A typical day of production starts around 8am. There isn’t a set finish time, just whenever all the jobs are done, which is usually by 6pm. Jobs involve polishing moulds, tempering chocolate colours and painting the moulds, creating chocolate shells, making each flavour ganache and filling, and, finally, closing the shells, once the ganache is set.

How did you end up in the job you are doing now? 

I have been a bread/pastry baker and pastry chef in a fine dining restaurant before which has helped me develop my skills that I use in chocolate making.

How did you manage through the pandemic and what are you doing differently post Covid-19?

I managed to keep my job during covid with reduced hours. Since things have recovered, I started something of my own with Coco Canvas that expresses my personality.

What do you love about your job?

How customers’ eyes light up after eating my chocolate.

What are the negative aspects of your job?

Sometimes I have to work long hours.

What would you say to someone wanting to join your profession? How should they go about it?

Being a pastry chef/chocolatier is really fun and you get to use local produce to create some unique flavours.  The only limit is your imagination.

What does the future look like for you and work? 

Hopefully I’ll create some interesting flavours and have my chocolates selling all over New Zealand.

Moulding chocolates is painstaking but creative work

What else would you like to tell us about your job?

It requires a lot of patience and attention to detail to be a pastry chef/chocolatier.

Summarise your work life in three words.

Fun, busy and satisfying.