Chocolate. The immaculate confection. The divine dessert. The lover’s aphrodisiac. That’s exactly how Paul Verano, owner of The Confectional feels about chocolate!
Paul’s love affair with chocolate had a tumultuous start. As a child, Paul wasn’t allowed to have sugar. If he wanted something sugary, he had to make it himself so he started baking cookies at the young age of 4. As he got older, he refined his craft and expanded his baking repertoire to include cheesecakes and other delicious sweets.
The story of the The Confectional goes thousands of miles to the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the island of New Zealand where the business began. Paul and his husband were living in the capital city of Wellington where they rented a kitchen to bake cheesecakes each night to sell the next day. As a delivery-only business, Paul and his husband would do everything themselves, including hand-folding the boxes. Once the Mayor of Wellington discovered them, the news spread like wildfire and soon the U.S. Embassy and the cast and crew of Lord of the Rings were on their roster of clientele!
Despite their success in New Zealand, Paul and his husband decided to close the shop and relocate to Seattle where he reunited with his longtime friend, Destiny Sund. Both University of Oregon college mates, Paul and Destiny reminisced their ‘sugarless’ childhoods and found the their bond was deeper than they could’ve imagined. The duo embarked on a dessert journey together and decided to give The Confectional a reboot here in the historic Pike Place Market.
So what’s with the name? Well, there’s several things at play with a fantastic name like “The Confectional”. For starters, their first and biggest client in New Zealand was in fact, a nunnery and the Chocolat movie quote: “Is this a confectionery or a confessional?” – Judi Dench as Armande Voizin, was inspiration for the name of the business. In addition, Destiny’s strong marketing background adds a unique flavor (no pun intended) to the company.
Hint: the “confess your love for cheesecake” tagline, was her idea!
When you visit The Confectional you’ll see Paul and the staff hard at work making the most delightful chocolatey treats. From Holy Crack and Cheesecake Truffles, to Uber Dips and Colombian Sipping Chocolate, there’s something for all the chocolate lovers in the world!
Want to learn more about The Confectional and taste some divine chocolate? Join us on our Chocolate Indulgence Tour!
