The Culture County Speaks to Paul A Young

The Bishop Auckland Food Festival will return to the Culture County on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April, for a weekend of sizzling street food, fun-filled family entertainment and an exciting line-up of celebrity chefs.

One of the celebrity chefs joining the exciting line up is Paul A Young, who has been named one of the world’s finest master chocolatiers since opening his first chocolaterie in 2006. Paul grew up in Trimdon Station and trained to be a chef at New College Durham after leaving school and falling in love with baking with his mum and grandmother.

The New Durham college graduate was the first chocolatier to win a gold award in the Academy of Chocolate Awards for his sea-salted caramel in 2005, and over the last 20 years Paul has become a regular on our TV screens appearing on This Morning, Alan Titchmarsh, Sunday Brunch, Saturday Kitchen, and even The Apprentice. More recently Paul has gone on to write four books and launch his ‘Chocolate at Home’ business, a one-to-one hands-on masterclass teaching all the fundamentals of chocolate making.

Ahead of the 2025 Bishop Auckland Food Festival, Paul has kindly sat down with the Culture County to discuss inspiring people to take up chocolate making, his culinary inspirations growing up and what advice would he give to anyone looking to become a chocolatier.

Q. Hi Paul, thank you for sitting down with the Culture County, as many people may know you started your culinary journey at New College Durham. Is it a good feeling to be back in the region and inspiring new people who are interested in chocolate making? 

A. It’s always great to be back in the North East. I grew up and studied here so it always feels like a great place to be. Chocolate is one of those skills that intimidates people so I’m here to demystify those worries and to answer a lot of questions so that we have more people getting interested in becoming chocolatiers.

Q. Who were your culinary inspirations growing up?

A. My mum and my grandma. Northern mums and grandparents love with food and will feed you even when you are not hungry, and I love it. Baking was big in our family, so it was part of my growing up seeing pies, scones, biscuits, crumbles and cakes being made from scratch. I learned to bake at a very young age thanks to Sunday teatime being a family affair and everything being baked from scratch in my grandma’s kitchen. So, it was at a young age I became quite excited about sweet things and baking. 

Q. Was there a moment, experience or even a single piece of chocolate that inspired you to become a chocolatier?

 A. No, actually, but in hindsight chocolate was always something special and important in my family. My mum knew good chocolate and when most kids would get roses, and quality streets, I would have Thornton's, Maxwell and Kennedy handmade chocolates. I did have the Roses too of course but when it was a special occasion the higher-end chocolates would be bought. I became a chocolatier as I could not buy the chocolates I wanted to eat. I wanted unpreserved, natural, seasonal and hand-made and you could not buy those in 2004 when my experimenting first started. By 2006 I was a world award-winning chocolatier and opening my first chocolate shop in London. 

Q. And finally, if a junior Paul A Young, who is just starting his culinary career was in the crowd at the Bishop Auckland Food Festival watching you on stage, what would your piece of advice to him be? 

A. Say yes to challenges, to adventures, to risks and live to the fullest. I did and I have so far had an amazing, tiring, exciting, and challenging career. But, of course with some lows, as life throws us things we don’t expect. You can always say no later.  One other thing, and it’s so important is to master your craft, create your own style and identity, and never replicate or copy anyone else. 

Paul A Young will be showcasing his chocolate making on Sunday April 13 on the main stage at the Bishop Auckland Food Festival. Find out more about the festival or discover more culinary experiences from wine tastings and craft beer events to local food markets and culinary tours.