Betty Petrova

61 Salem Street, Boston MA
277 Border Street, East Boston MA
betty@petrovachocolates.com
Visit Petrova Chocolates

Bringing Fine-Dining Creativity to Artisan Chocolate

Betty Petrova’s approach to chocolate begins with food, travel and memory. Born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, she grew up around her family’s restaurant, spending school holidays in the kitchen alongside her mother. Those early experiences eventually followed her across the Atlantic and into the professional kitchens of Boston.

After moving to Boston in 2015, Petrova worked in several restaurant kitchens before joining UNI, where her work included sashimi preparation and plated desserts. Chocolate gradually became her preferred creative medium. She studied through specialist classes and workshops across the United States before launching Petrova Chocolates in the summer of 2020.

From Plovdiv to Boston

Petrova’s culinary education began long before she became a chocolatier. She studied Hospitality Management in Plovdiv and later Tourism Management at Bulgaria’s University of Food Technologies.

That combination of restaurant experience, hospitality and travel continues to influence her work. Rather than separating chocolate from the broader culinary world, Petrova treats the bonbon much like a small plated dessert: an opportunity to combine flavour, texture and presentation within a few carefully constructed bites.

Her travels through Europe provide further inspiration, bringing memories and culinary discoveries into collections created in Boston.

Chocolate That Changes with the Seasons

Petrova Chocolates operates on a small-batch model, with collections changing according to seasonal ingredients and creative inspiration.

The company works with direct- and fair-trade cacao from Ecuador and other single-origin sources while also partnering with American bean-to-bar makers. Locally, Petrova sources ingredients from regional farms and dairies whenever possible and avoids artificial flavourings in its small-batch production.

Its signature bonbons use direct-trade Ecuadorian cacao, with flavours inspired by fine dining and Petrova’s international travels. This seasonal approach means the chocolate case is not intended to remain exactly the same throughout the year.

Connecting Chocolate with Eastern European Wine

Petrova has also found an unusual way to bring her Bulgarian and Eastern European heritage into the customer experience.

Her Chocolate & Wine Boutique in Boston’s North End pairs handcrafted confections with a curated selection of natural Eastern European wines. The shop hosts tastings and pairing events designed to explore how chocolate and wine can complement or contrast with one another.

The concept broadens the traditional chocolatier experience. Rather than simply purchasing a box of chocolates, visitors can explore flavour through cacao origins, wine, seasonal ingredients and guided tastings.

From Bonbon to Chocolate Education

Education is becoming another part of Petrova’s work. Her East Boston production kitchen hosts small-group workshops covering truffles and bonbon making, including tempering, moulding, fillings and decorative techniques. The North End boutique also offers guided cacao tastings tracing chocolate from the bean through to the finished bonbon.

That combination of production, retail and education gives Petrova Chocolates a particularly contemporary identity. There is craftsmanship behind the counter, but customers are also invited to understand where cacao originates and how chocolate is transformed.

From a family restaurant in Plovdiv to an independent chocolate business in Boston, Betty Petrova’s career has remained rooted in culinary curiosity. Petrova Chocolates brings those experiences together through European heritage, responsibly sourced cacao, local ingredients and a willingness to explore flavours beyond the familiar.