inger Elizabeth Hahn is a formally trained chocolatier and pastry chef who has been studying and working professionally with chocolate for over 10 years.
She studied pastry at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. She graduated top of her class receiving the CIA Management Award and Angel Scholastic Award.
While in New York, Ginger worked for world-renowned chocolatiers Jacques Torres, MOF and Daniel Budd.
After graduation, Ginger took a position at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago where she apprenticed under the world-famous pastry chef En-Ming Hsu, 2001 World Pastry Cup gold medalist. Under the guidance of En-Ming, Ginger further refined her skills with chocolate and in the pastry arts.
By 2005 Ginger had returned to California to be close to her family and start her own business. At the age of 24, Ginger opened the wholesale company Couture Chocolates by Ginger Elizabeth. The company allowed her to practice and showcase the talents and skills she had acquired, while continuing to learn and explore new ideas. The wholesale business was successful and by 2008, Ginger and her husband Tom launched their retail store in Midtown Sacramento under the company’s new name, Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates.
Since founding Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, she has been invited to the Ecole du Grand Chocolat Valrhona to study bon bons; visited cocoa farms in Belize to observe the chocolate making process and the importance of the cocoa farmers; been chosen by Vanini, one of Italy’s largest chocolate makers, to consult on their entrance into the American market; attended a chocolate technology course with Richardson Research at UC Davis to better understand the scientific process behind the making of chocolate; been featured as a top chocolatier on the TLC show “Chocolate Wars”; and been named by the Sacramento Business Journal as one of the regions “40 Under 40” notable businesspeople.
In 2010, Ginger was named one of the Top Ten Chocolatiers in North America by Dessert Professional Magazine.
Most days Ginger can be found at her boutique in Midtown Sacramento making chocolates, developing new recipes, and sharing her passion and love for all things chocolate with her customers.
Tom Hahn oversees business operations for Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates. He graduated cum laude from USC’s Marshall School of Business with an emphasis in entrepreneurship from the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. And he completed the Culinary Program at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.
Tom has worked at the world renowned, 3 Michelin star French Laundry Restaurant in the Napa Valley. He also spent time at the highly acclaimed, 2 Michelin star Manresa Restaurant, where under the guidance of chef David Kinch, Tom further developed and refined his culinary technique.
Tom no longer cooks professionally. However, he still works creatively with his wife Ginger to develop and refine products for Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates. He also maintains the family garden which is home to a growing assortment of edibles used at Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates.
