WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE?
What’s Your Favourite?
Chocolatier and CAA member Christina Dove dishes on her love affair with gelato and the Newfoundland phrase that’s close to her heart.
By Nicole Keen
WITH HER BACKGROUND as a neuroscientist, you might not peg Christina Dove as a business owner or master chocolatier. But with a lifelong love of chocolate, a desire to make additive- and preservative-free products, and a passion for Newfoundland-rooted ingredients and culture, Dove co-founded the Newfoundland Chocolate Company in 2008. Back then, her two sons and parents were her first staff members. “They got paid in chocolate, of course!” Dove jokes. Today, the company’s crown jewel is a 10,000 sq. ft. factory and café in St. John’s, N.L.
PHOTO: DAVE HOWELL/COURTESY OF NEWFOUNDLAND CHOCOLATE COMPANY
(From top) Partridgeberries in Trinity, N.L.; a cup of gelato topped with whipped cream and cocoa powder from Gelateria Paganelli, one of the oldest gelaterias in Milan, Italy. | PHOTOS: (FROM TOP) GORD FOLLET/NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR TOURISM; EMANUEL EKSTROM/UNSPLASH
What does your ideal day off look like?
Even on a day off, I love visiting the factory’s production floor and creating recipes with my team. I also love popping into our café to chat and have coffee with our wonderful regular customers.
What’s your favourite Newfoundland flavour?
I love berries, in particular Newfoundland partridgeberries and bakeapple. I also love our little tiny blueberries and strawberries that are so potent.
Where in the world have you had a life-changing chocolate experience?
I went to Italy for a neuroscience conference and fell in love with gelato... this was back in 2014. I immediately trained with an Italian gelato chef and started making natural gelato with fresh ingredients.
What’s your favourite Newfoundland saying?
I think it’s “what odds,” because my mom and dad always said that. It means that no matter the hardships and the struggles, you get through it with a smile on your face and love in your heart.
What would you love to do next with the business?
I’m excited about building the company [to be] stronger and also more inclusive. My team is neurodiverse, and I just received approval to put more Braille devices in the factory. Many people — such as those who are on the autism spectrum or deaf — don’t even make it for an interview with any employers. I feel a responsibility to make my factory as welcoming as possible. Diverse individuals are brilliant additions to my team.
A mermaid sculpture welcomes visitors to the Newfoundland Chocolate Company’s flagship factory, café and shop in St. John’s. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF NEWFOUNDLAND CHOCOLATE COMPANY
WITH HER BACKGROUND as a neuroscientist, you might not peg Christina Dove as a business owner or master chocolatier. But with a lifelong love of chocolate, a desire to make additive- and preservative-free products, and a passion for Newfoundland-rooted ingredients and culture, Dove co-founded the Newfoundland Chocolate Company in 2008. Back then, her two sons and parents were her first staff members. “They got paid in chocolate, of course!” Dove jokes. Today, the company’s crown jewel is a 10,000 sq. ft. factory and café in St. John’s, N.L.
PHOTO: DAVE HOWELL/COURTESY OF NEWFOUNDLAND CHOCOLATE COMPANY
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(From top) Patridgeberries in Trinity, Newfoundland; a cup of gelato topped with whipped cream and cocoa powder from Gelateria Paganelli, one of the oldest gelaterias in Milan, Italy. | PHOTOS: (FROM TOP) GORD FOLLET/NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR TOURISM; EMANUEL EKSTROM/UNSPLASH
What does your ideal day off look like?
Even on a day off, I love visiting the factory’s production floor and creating recipes with my team. I also love popping into our café to chat and have coffee with our wonderful regular customers.
What’s your favourite Newfoundland flavour?
I love berries, in particular Newfoundland partridgeberries and bakeapple. I also love our little tiny blueberries and strawberries that are so potent.
Where in the world have you had a life-changing chocolate experience?
I went to Italy for a neuroscience conference and fell in love with gelato... this was back in 2014. I immediately trained with an Italian gelato chef and started making natural gelato with fresh ingredients.
What’s your favourite Newfoundland saying?
I think it’s “what odds,” because my mom and dad always said that. It means that no matter the hardships and the struggles, you get through it with a smile on your face and love in your heart.
What would you love to do next with the business?
I’m excited about building the company [to be] stronger and also more inclusive. My team is neurodiverse, and I just received approval to put more Braille devices in the factory. Many people — such as those who are on the autism spectrum or deaf — don’t even make it for an interview with any employers. I feel a responsibility to make my factory as welcoming as possible. Diverse individuals are brilliant additions to my team.
A mermaid sculpture welcomes visitors to the Newfoundland Chocolate Company’s flagship factory, café and shop in St. John’s. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF NEWFOUNDLAND CHOCOLATE COMPANY