BLU Boy Chocolate Cafe and Cakery

Life on the other side of the rainbow: chocolate, cakes and coffee...OH MY!

This is my story and I am sticking to it.

Short version for those of you in a hurry: I was a doctor who went to culinary school to become a pastry chef and chocolatier, left medicine, and am now in the process of opening a chocolate and dessert shop.

If you have a little more time to kill: I remember from a very young age wanting to be a chef. Even before people like Rachel Ray, Emeril and Bobby Flay(next time I see you remind me to tell you a story about this one) made being a chef glamorous and worthy of celebrity. Even as a child there was something that seemed romantic and nurturing and creative about the profession. I don't particularly remember doing a lot of cooking ( although I always remember doing a lot of eating - odd, I might have gottten those two things confused and should have become a professional eater instead) None-the-less I got diverted from path and ended up in medical school. Before I knew it I was a medical resident and then finally out in practice in the middle of beautiful no where Kentucky.
Remarkable enough the entire time I practiced medicine I could hear the whispers of flour, butter, and sugar calling my name so I spent a lot of my extra time experimenting in my home kitchen, learning as much as I could from the likes of Julia Child and Martha Stewart. No, they weren't my only friends, but I knew I could always count on them - for dessert, anyway. i went through cookbook after cookbook soaking them all in and finally came to realization that I wasn't getting any younger. I moved to Bloomington eventually, started work as a physician at Indiana University Health Center, and began planning for the next step in my pastry education - culinary school.

"Do I need to go to culinary school to learn to be a chef?" is a question I get often from usually young and enthusiastic baking hobbiests. The short answer is no. Many fantastic chefs have trained their way to the top acquiring more experience than I will ever have. However, if you are a 38 year old professional who's life clock is tic tic ticking and want to move things along a bit, culinary school is a great way to go. A lot of experience and knowledge acquisition in a little bit of time. So, in the fall of 2003, bright eyed and cheeks of tan, I went to New York to train at The Institute of Culinary Education. Almost a year of shuttling back and forth evey weekend while I worked at the student health center during the week gave me a wealth of knowledge and the inspiration to do something with it! I came back to Bloomington full of sugar and spice (which added about 20 pounds to my othewise delicate frame) and a few months later BLU Culinary Arts, LLC was born!

BLU Blog???

From the start you need to know...this isn't one of those blogs created by someone who actually likes to write and can take great photos. There, I said it.

Instead, it's a blog created by a physician turned pastry chef/chocolatier. Truth is that I'd rather be in the kitchen than sitting here typing away. Naturally then you might as why I have joined the rest of the free world in creating MY blog?

Yesterday I was sitting in the middle of a very messy 550 sq ft of what will eventually be our new chocolate cafe and cakery. In a matter of maybe 30 minutes I think 5 or 6 people stuck their head in the open front door (open because the fumes from the paint primer were overwhelming) to find out what was going on. Strangers, with just enough curiosity to stop and check it out. No smell of baked bread or chocolate cake. Just paint. It made me realize that in a neat little town like Bloomington something new is exciting. A bit of adventure. It then became clear to me that the process of sharing our story and progress (or lack there of) might interest some. A blog was born.

I also do think that detailing my experience as we start the process of opening our new cafe just might be helpful to someone considering the same or the start of any small business for that matter. I have had a few fantastic mentors in my short (5 years) pastry/small business career and I can honestly tell you without them I wouldn't be entering this endeavor quite as comfortably prepared. Not that having a mentor will guarantee a small business owner's success but it does add a dimension of accountability. And God knows someone has to be held responsible and it certainly isn't going to be me. Don't misunderstand. I'm not suggesting you follow along and one day do what I did. Just the contrary. It's more likely you will want to do the exact opposite. So keep that in mind.

Finally I have to say that over the course of the last 5 years we have had thousands (OK, maybe only hundreds but I woke up today feeling particularly enthusiastic) of really sincere supporters many of whom want to know what's happening with the new place. This will help to keep you posted. If nothing else add a bit to the collection of bathroom reading. Something, that when you need just a few minutes of distraction, will be perfect.

Cheers,

David Fletcher

Owner, BLU Boy Chocolate Cafe and Cakery