How did you get here Marc Forrat?

By Jane Antoiak

Just like his mouthwatering chocolate, Marc Forrat is an interesting mix of ingredients. As owner of La Chocolaterie Forrat, headquartered in London and now growing across Canada, Marc creates and sells delicious morsels of melt-in-your mouth chocolate truffles. Since opening a small shop in the Covent Garden Market in downtown London in 2003, his business has grown to as far away as Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. As a Canadian immigrant, and now citizen, he has travelled an interesting and unique route to his home in London.

At first glance Forrat appears to be all things French. Not French Canadian but French from France. What with his trademark beret, French language-named business and even the hint of a French accent – it seems that the owner of La Chocolaterie Forrat is certainly French. Ah yes, he did come here from France but that was only a stop-over for him. Forrat was born of Algerian parents in Brazil. He also speaks Spanish. As a youth, he moved to France with his mother and it was in Nice that he learned the chocolate making trade. It was also where he met his future Canadian wife, Elia Rodrigues. She was studying in France on a break from her hometown of West Lorne, west of London.

That chance meeting drew Forrat to visit Southwestern Ontario several times before he and Elia married in 1996. They lived in Windsor and Toronto before settling in London in 2002. “It is a family friendly city. And, if you are ambitious, you know your craft and you plan on building a successful life then London is the place to start. Londoners will support a business that deserves it. And, I found that by being generous and investing in the city then the city will give (it) back to you,” says Forrat.

Forrat credits the support he received from the French Canadian Association of Ontario – London Sarnia Regional Council and the training he received at the Small Business Centre in London where he took an intensive self-employment benefit program. He now employs four people and has sold his concept to other entrepreneurs in Canada. He was also a member of the London Downtown Business Association.

Forrat and Elia have a daughter, Emilie, whom Forrat believes will be the next generation owner of his company one day. His mother has also come to live with the family from France. “This is our starting point and I don’t think we will ever move out of London. We will explore other places but my wife and daughter love it here. This is the city that made me, it took me under its wings and the support of Londoner was my #1 secret weapon!” says Forrat proudly.

He gives back to his community by speaking to students about entrepreneurship and by donating chocolate truffles to several fundraising events for London hospitals. In his spare time he and his wife love to dance and recently won a charity event called Dancing with the Stars in the city. “I do as much as I can to help. I also believe in being yourself and don’t focus on money, focus on success.”

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Jane Antoniak is a writer and owner of Antoniak Communications Inc in London. Her column, How Did You Get Here?, ran in the London Free Press for 5 years, winning recognition from the City of London for promoting diversity and race relations.