Meet Lindsey Newman: pastry chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lindsey Newman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lindsey, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“In pursuit of excellence” was written on a plaque in one of the very first kitchens I ever worked in and these words have stayed with me ever since. Whenever I am working on something whether its a new recipe or something I have made a hundred times, those four words are always on repeat in the back of my mind. If you aren’t going to give your best when doing something then why do it?

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Rose Noir Chocolates is all about creating chocolate confections and pastries that have bold flavor profiles. This is achieved by using the finest ingredients available and making everything from scratch, whether its our pralines, candied orange peels or baked treats. Throughout my career, I did my best to absorb all the knowledge that was being passed on to me from every Chef I worked for and to then apply this knowledge daily. Working in kitchens isn’t easy. It is very demanding both physically and mentally. I put a huge amount of pressure on myself, but with each lesson learned I am molding how I want the business to grow. This has it challenges because we live in a society that measures your worth through productivity, so balancing work/life/ mental health is a struggle but I am determined to make it happen. Creating pastries and chocolate confections for people to enjoy is one of the most gratifying things in life for me and I hope to continue doing so for many many years.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in California we are very fortunate to have an endless list of places to visit, a variety of delicious food to eat and beautiful sights to see. Definitely the trip would be centered around food, but also how could you not set time aside to check out the landscapes California has to offer? A fun week long trip would start at the coast and go inward. Some fun activities and places to eat at are: hanging out at any beach along the California coast, Santa Monica farmers market, Bay Cities Italian deli has the best sandwiches (Santa Monica) and the mini doughnuts at Zeldas Corner (Venice beach). Next I would start heading inland. Some delicious food to eat is at Ruen Pair (Hollywood), E.A,K ramen (Melrose), APL steakhouse (Hollywood), and Tacos Guelaguetza (Melrose) to name a few places to eat. Continuing even further inland, to the high desert where things are a bit more calm you can hike on one of the many trails, snowboard, dirtbike ride or even hang out at Silverwood lake. I love farmers markets and thankfully there are several to choose from. Mondays is the Phelan farmers market, Thursdays the High desert farmers market and Fridays is the Wrightwood farmers market, Each of these markets is different from the other and all of them are a fun way to spend part of your day. After visiting the Wrightwood market, its fun to stroll through this mountain town and take in the beauty of the surrounding forest. This is only a very teeny small amount of places to check out and restaurants to eat at. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Definitely to my family and friends who have encouraged and worked alongside me every step of the way. Also, of course, for the many customers who show so much love and support! It is very much a group effort to make Rose Noir Chocolates a reality. My parents, siblings, husband and close friends all help with a wide range of things, from social media to working the farmers markets to helping with production, etc. Its not easy having a small business and it is not at all possible for one person to do it on their own.

Website: www.rosenoirchocolates.com

Instagram: @rosenoirchocolates

Facebook: rose noir chocolates

Image Credits
Ricardo Mora R. Mora photography instagram: @r.moraphotography