Meet the People - 21

Agnes Almeida, Xocolatl, Christchurch. August 2008. Ajr

Another in the series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Canadian-born Agnes Almeida is a new New Zealander with a dream job! She’s a Montreal-trained pastry chef and chocolateir, who came here two years ago with her New Zealand partner and when I met her yesterday, she was up to her elbows (almost literally) in melted chocolate. Agnes and Raymond have opened Xocolatl here in Christchurch and people are pouring through their doors to savour chocolate treats with unexpected flavours like smoked Chinese tea, olive oil, balsamic, chilli and jasmine tea… …and then there’s the chilli flavoured hot chocolate – a yummy indulgence with a bite in the tail. And if you’re struggling with the name, Xocolatl is Aztec for chocolate and is pronounced shocolatil. www.tempertemper.co.nz