Our Story
Wendy, an award-winning Chocolatier and former technology business leader, has long been a serious chocolate and pastry enthusiast. In the early stages of her career, she attended several workshops at Le Cordon Bleu and ran a small business selling French Macarons.
In 2015, a health issue left her unable to continue her job in high tech. During Wendy’s recovery, she would take walks in the forest with her dog, Zoë. The sounds, colours and textures of the forest inspired her creatively and lifted her spirits. It was during these walks that her new path in life started to take shape.
Initially, Wendy had imagined that her new career would focus on pastry, until a friend introduced her to a “microbatch” bar from Soma Chocolatemaker. It was magical! This bar had a unique colour and flavour, unlike any other chocolate she had tasted. From that moment on, she dreamed of sharing that experience with others.
Over the next five years, Wendy dove into the world of chocolate - studying the history, art and science of chocolate, and practicing its techniques (everything from bean-to-bar to making bonbons). She revelled in and is grateful for the instruction she received from École Chocolat, Mackenzie Rivers at Map Chocolate, Andre Dubovik at Pralinarium, Brian Donaghy at Tomric Systems, Kriss Harvey at andSons Chocolatiers and Melissa Coppel at Melissa Coppel Chocolate and Pastry School. Wendy is also eternally grateful to her friends and family for supporting her through this journey and encouraging her to pursue her passion as a career.
Wendy still walks in the forest most days with Zoë, dreaming of new recipes, and envisioning new ways of bringing beautiful chocolates to her community. She named her business, White Pine Chocolates, as a nod to the forest that inspires her and to reflect her commitment to sustainability.