Angus Kennedy (chocolate taster): Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox person |
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|name = Angus Kennedy |
|name = Angus Kennedy |
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|image = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Profile_picture_of_Angus_Kennedy,_chocolate_taster.jpg <sup>[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix|[OP Ch.{{{ch}}}]]]</sup> |
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|nationality = [[United Kingdom|British]] |
|nationality = [[United Kingdom|British]] |
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| birth_date = 1964 |
| birth_date = 1964 |
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Revision as of 19:14, 25 September 2012
Angus Kennedy | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist and professional chocolate taster |
Angus Kennedy, dubbed the real-life “Willy Wonka” by the British media, is the ex-editor of Kennedy's Confection magazine — the confectionery trade’s longest-running publication — and a former chocolate taster for some of the world's biggest manufacturers.[1]
Family Business
Kennedy, from West Farleigh, near Maidstone,[2] edited the publication — published for more than 120 years and sent to 5,000 subscribers worldwide — for over 20 years.[1] The magazine has been in his family for 40 years and Kennedy had been involved with it since the age of 10, after his father died from cancer and his mother had to take over the business. As a child he had his own column, called "Sweet Spot".[3]
As part of his job, Kennedy attended trade shows where he would eat up to 3 lbs of chocolates and sweets per day and sample more than 200 new products per month.[1] In total, it is estimated that he has sampled over 30,000 new confectionery products across his working life.[4] In October 2010, Kennedy was hired by some of the world's biggest manufacturers as their chief chocolate taster.[1] During that time manufacturers including Mars and Nestle relied on his “experience and sophisticated palate” to sample new wares ahead of production.[1] Kennedy also continued as editor of Kennedy's Confection, spending half of his working week sampling new products and the other half writing about them in the magazine.[1]
Retirement
Though Kennedy described his career as a “dream job”, it was announced in July 2012 that he was retiring both from Kennedy's Confection and his role as chocolate taster owing to health concerns.[4] Since taking on the chocolate tasting role his weight had increased from 11-and-a-half stone to 13-and-a-half stone and his cholesterol was becoming "dangerously high". Doctors had warned Kennedy, a father of five, that he risked a heart attack if he carried on. In a bid to return to his normal weight, Kennedy had to cut all chocolate from his diet.[1]
He is now concentrating on a full-time writing career, including penning a novel about his experiences delivering his wife's baby. [5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Chocolate-taster forced to give up dream job after piling on two stone". The Telegraph. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ Ruth Banks (12 October 2010). "The sweetest job in the world?". Kent Online. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ Amy Oliver (16 November 2010). "Willy Wonka eat your heart out!: Meet the man paid to scoff 2lb of sweets a day - from cocoa-covered ants to aphrodisiac lollipops". Daily Mail. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ a b Jo Sayer (11 July 2012). "Real-life Willy Wonka forced to quit". The Sun. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ "Chocolate taster forced to quit dream job over heart attack fears". Metro. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.