Nestled in Harlem, New York City, is Sweet Vegan NYC, one of the few vegan chocolate shops in the city. Rated the best vegan chocolate in New York and featured in publications such as CBS News, Yahoo, VegNews, and more, the shop is headed by Chef Andrea Young. So, who is the founder of this delicious dessert shop?
Raised by a single mother and the oldest daughter of 5, Chef Andrea grew up in Indiana. After graduating from the Parsons School of Design at The New School with a degree in interior architecture, she went on to practice architecture and worked at McMillen. After her architectural firm downsized, Chef Andrea moved on to the food industry.
Chef Andrea grew up surrounded by food. “It was my grandmother who taught me everything there is to know about cooking,” she said. “I loved that experience and spending time with a parental figure.” One lesson Chef Andrea’s grandmother taught her was to always do your best in everything. “I’ve taken those sort of golden rules and guidelines from my very strong Midwestern upbringing and brought them right over to New York,” she said.
While taking care of her mother after a bad fall, Chef Andrea discovered the world of plant-based cooking. “I brought somebody in that cooked for us and that person turned out to be a plant-based chef,” she said. “It turns out, that woman inspired both my mom and me.” That woman was Chef Christine Waltrmyer, founder of the Natural Kitchen Cooking School. Chef Andrea eventually graduated from Chef Christine’s school and the rest is history.
Sweet Vegan NYC is a product of Chef Andrea’s creativity and love for cooking. “I felt like chocolate just brought people together,” she said. “It connected people on a very deep level.” All of Chef Andrea’s chocolate is 100% no soy, no gluten, no white sugar, no nuts, and no preservatives. Instead of animal milk, she opts for rice milk and uses the best quality 70% dark chocolate. To create her unique flavors, Chef Andrea works with her team to make many small batches and often asks the public for their opinions to make the best possible combination of flavors.
Chef Andrea keeps seasonal chocolates throughout the holidays, such as chocolate strawberries for Valentine’s Day and her Raspberry Royale flavor for spring. Recently, she developed her Champagne Truffle flavor for actress Jessica Chastain. Though these flavors come in and out of stock while supplies last and seasons change, Sweet Vegan also has their core flavors. Core flavors come in a 4-piece, 8-piece, or 15-piece box.
Core Flavors
Energizing Espresso: Made with coffee beans in Italy, Energizing Espresso is a creamy truffle with a smooth ganache.
Luscious Lemon: Using freshly squeezed organic lemons, this flavor recently won an award and contains a lemon ganache covered in rich dark chocolate.
Midnight Passion: A bestseller at Sweet Vegan, Midnight Passion is a dark chocolate that is mixed with a hint of coffee liqueur.
Spicy Ginger: Made with imported ginger from Peru, this flavor’s ganache has a bit of a kick to it while covered in vegan chocolate.
There’s much in store for Chef Andrea and Sweet Vegan. She’s been moving into the bridal world to provide the best dessert for weddings and hosting a mentorship program for high school students. Be sure to keep up with news on her work through her newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
Valentine’s Day is coming up, and what better way to celebrate than with a box of Chef Andrea’s chocolates? Let us know which flavor is your favorite in the comments!
XOXO,
Your Fashion Bestie
