Since 1998, Belgian chocolatier Johan Devries has made lush sweets, handcrafting bonbons of every flavor, and in shapes from chocolate horses to chocolate shrimp. He also makes a chocolate statue reminiscent of the “Oscar” statuettes that Hollywood’s favorites will cuddle tonight at the Academy Awards. Castle Rock-based Belvedere Belgian Chocolate Shop’s creationssold in shops from Denver to Glenwood Springs — are known strictly as “statues,” Devries says firmly.
Q: Are your statues milk chocolate?
A: We make the statue in both dark and milk chocolate. We also can wrap it in gold foil.
Q: Are the statues hollow or solid?
A: We used to make them hollow, but too many break. The neck and base are thin, and break easily. So they are solid now.
Q: How many do you make in a year?
A: Not so many. Not in the four figures. We maybe make 200 or so. It’s hard to track. We only make them when we have orders, and they’re fairly expensive because of the size.
Q: How much does a statue cost?
A: $12.50 for a chocolate one, and $14.50 if it is wrapped in gold foil.
Q: How many statues do your customers order?
A: We get orders when people have parties, so it varies. Once in a while we get a large order. The largest was 75.
Q: Seventy-five!
A: I recall that like it was yesterday. That was for a bar mitzvah. It took forever, like a couple of months, for those, because we only had a few molds.
Q: Have you ever eaten one of these statues?
A: Oh, yes. I have eaten a broken one.
Q: If you were going to eat one that wasn’t broken, what part would you eat first? Would you start with the top, the way people do with chocolate Easter bunnies?
A: Yes, probably the head. I am logical in this. If you eat the base first, then it won’t be able to stand upright any more. If you eat off the head, it will still stand there nicely. It’s the same with Easter rabbits. They can still stand up if you start with the ears.
Claire Martin, The Denver Post
