Swiss Adventures - A Visit To Tristan, Famous Chocolatier

You know you are famous when you go by a single name, just like Madonna and Rihanna. Ask any Swiss who they think is one of the finest chocolatiers in Switzerland, and you will most certainly get Tristan as a reply. A gift of Tristan chocolates to your Swiss host will definitely get you adoration and street cred.

Tristan Carbonatto is one of the finest chocolatiers in Switzerland. In 1998, Tristan opened his little shop in Bougy-Villars, a quiet village near Nyon. Today, his shop is a tourist attraction and a must-visit even for locals. I was told that the police had to be called in every Easter to direct the traffic. This is the magnitude of his fame and the quality of his chocolates. A Swiss magazine even gave him the title of 'The Prince of Chocolate'.

Thanks to our good friends MB and SB, we got to meet the man up close and personal. Tristan invited us to step into his workshop and showed us what he is working on for next Christmas. Yes, you read this correctly, Tristan is working on his next Christmas product range.

Despite his immense fame, Tristan is nice and friendly. He gave us a demo and a sneak preview of what to expect for Christmas next year. He took some inspirations from a children's book with animal illustrations.

The prototype is ready. A gorgeous Christmas snow globe! I want one for next year.

Now, a look around the shop and check out the chocolates for the festive season...

The shop is decked out in Christmas decoration

Love the window display. So elegant.

The cashier counter

White chocolate angel wings and milk chocolate Santa Clauses

Tristan encourages his customers to try the chocolates before they buy. However, one will have to make a chocolate pilgrimage to taste them because he does not export out of the little town.

I bought his festive pack that contains a wide variety of his creations. Sorta like a degustation menu.

Using only the best and freshest ingredients, his chocolates are free from preservatives and are best consumed within 10 days of purchase. That explains why Tristan does not export his chocolates.

He also does lots of customisation projects for his clients. Tristan's magic transcends into architecture, for he creates miniature landscapes out of chocolate.