FAYS, chocolate terroir - Portrait "In love at home and in business"

For Valentine's Day, we've chosen to celebrate love, yes, but not like the one in the movies. The one in reality. And it's even more incredible, you'll see!

Through a series of portraits, we introduce you to companies as you're not used to seeing them. We're going to talk about love and business, subjects sometimes perceived as difficult to combine, and yet, they brilliantly prove us wrong 🥰

Photo: FAYS Chocolaterie

Here is our first portrait: FAYS, chocolate terroir

FAYS, terroir chocolaté is an artisanal chocolate factory founded by Mathilde Fays, chocolatier and pastry chef from father to daughter. Nestled in the heart of the Oka region in a land abundant with fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers, the FAYS chocolate factory reinvents traditions in bold gourmet bites, a marriage between the infinite flavors of the terroir to which we combine the chocolates of the greatest quality.

 

Photo: Mathilde and Maria

The little love story ❤️

We were friends before Mathilde started the business. Nothing suggested a romance, let alone a professional one. She was 21 and starting out in the chocolate business. I was 27 and a municipal civil servant. I came to help her from time to time here and there in my free time. By spending time together, things changed and the friendship gave way to a romance. 2 years later, while I was questioning my career, she asked me to take care of the company's communications for 2 days a week, while also working another job. And that's when the professional love at first sight happened. It was then the return from the first maternity leave, 3 months after the start of the pandemic, that was decisive. We had to rethink everything. The new family context and the urgent need for communications during the pandemic allowed us to throw ourselves 100% into the business together. Nearly 10 years later, the two flames shine just as brightly, if not brighter.

Is your partner different at work?

(Maria) Yes and no. Mathilde is very structured and organized. She never stops. Neither at home nor at work. She always has projects in mind, and a downtime is just another opportunity to put them into action. I really admire this aspect of her personality, as well as her stubborn side, which follows her everywhere, but which is her charm.

(Mathilde) Not really, I think. She's passionate about what she does and likes to share good news with as many people as possible, whether they're colleagues, clients, or friends. Her office, always overflowing, resembles our kitchen counters... But she also brings her contagious smile and optimism from home.

What is the main advantage of working as a couple?

(Maria) In our case, we work well together, it's fluid and pleasant. Each of us has her place and we have great respect for that. We complement each other very well. In addition, the conciliation with the children that this brings is definitely a great advantage. And after reading her answer, I wish I had written it, it's just as true!

(Mathilde) A business takes up a lot of space in a family too, and it's a different way of life. I think that working together allows us to understand each other better at home and move forward more in the same direction. The discussions are of course often around the same theme, but it's also a passion that we share.

Photo: Mathilde and Maria

We would like to thank Maria and Mathilde for agreeing to give us some of their time and answer our questions. Thank you also for proving to us that love in business is possible ❤

👉 To find out more about FAYS, chocolate terroir : see the website

👉To stock up on chocolates: see the section on Simplitude