Chocolate Connoisseur Profiles:
Billy Crafton

A New Category Emerges…

Although we’ve done many, many IN FOCUS articles over the years here at Chocolate Connoisseur Magazine, one thing we’ve yet to do previously is highlight the actual chocolate connoisseurs who purchase and enjoy all the chocolate we write about.

So, in a bit of a new direction here in 2024, we’ll be publishing the occasional Chocolate Connoisseur Profile, a new category of article where we simply shine the spotlight on some of our readers.

We’re starting off with a very unique one, a person who works with big name professional athletes on one hand and lives a second life as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor, teacher, and gym owner on the other.

Sitting neatly somewhere in between those two passions lives a special appreciation for chocolate as well. Fellow chocolate connoisseurs, meet Billy Crafton.

Life Less Ordinary

You’ve likely never encountered anyone quite like Billy. He leads a life far from ordinary, and those in his inner circle somewhat jokingly say hiring Billy Crafton is like hiring the A-Team: he works with a very niche market of clients, if you can find him.

Personally working with around a dozen or so of some of the most influential athletes, part of Billy’s job is to protect them, as in “protect them like Fort Knox” protect them. Typically, he only picks up clients from other clients, honing the fine art of the referral.

That said, while Billy represents some big name athletes you would most certainly know (such as Andrew Ladd, pictured above), there are plenty of them he also has purposely not worked with as well.

“One of the most important parts of business is not working with the wrong people,” Billy notes with serious candor. Recognizing there is much more to life than work, this thoughtful philosophy helps keep plenty of time free for his other passions.

In addition to working with top athletes, and of course Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (we’ll get to that in a bit), Billy also loves spending time with his family, and reading as much as he possibly can. Note, that’s by no means an understatement. Billy considers himself a “voracious” reader.

Mostly centered in the nonfiction world, he’s read a ton of biographies, his favorite niche, but also plenty in the business and psychology categories as well. On average, despite a pretty busy schedule, he tends to get through at least four to five long books every month.

There’s a special irony here, however, or perhaps it’s just making up for lost time, because throughout high school and even college, Billy actually hated reading — especially if it was a topic he had no interest in.

Geography, Biology, Anthropology… he had no head space for that. Throw him a book on business, sports management, etc., and he would absorb all that content like a sponge.

Billy’s reading mindset is great for clients, because he’s often able to refer them to the perfect book for whatever they’re dealing with in life at that time (one might surmise that’s all part of the aforementioned Fort Knox protection).

In between all of this, however, one specific little passion quietly connects them all together.

Intersection: Chocolate

Yes, that passion would be for craft chocolate. There are two distinct parts to Billy’s chocolate game, if you will, but with the busy world he lives in, one reigns supreme. If you’re familiar with how we cover chocolate here at Chocolate Connoisseur, then you’ll easily recognize this, as he’s more of an On the Chocolate Regular category of chocolate lover.

Not that smaller, bean-to-bar makers don’t ever come into play (after all, he does live in San Diego, home to some great chocolate makers, like Nibble just for one example), it’s just that with the frequency he enjoys chocolate, having easily accessible staples always at hand is much more a priority.

Two chocolate bars tend to rule his chocolate world as of late…

Taza 60% Dark Toffee & Almond

First, it’s Taza’s 60% Dark Toffee & Almond Bar.

Taza built their reputation on perfecting stone ground chocolate, which gives their chocolate a very unique taste and texture, particularly in the grocery store realm.

This bar starts with unrefined 60% dark stone ground organic chocolate (crafted very much along the same lines as the Hu bar we’ll cover next), using only three organic ingredients: cacao beans, cane sugar, and cocoa butter.

Organic toffee (organic evaporated cane juice, sea salt, natural flavor, organic caramel color), organic almonds, and a bit of sea salt complete this delectable treat, while keeping it very much on the healthier side, another Taza focus.

This bar is certified USDA Organic, Direct Trade Certified, Non-GMO, Certified Gluten Free, while also being soy-free and vegan (we love you Taza) as well. Direct Trade Certified is an integral part of all things Taza, as they are pioneers in ethical cacao sourcing.

Click here to read much more on Taza Chocolate, in our own coverage from an earlier issue of Chocolate Connoisseur Magazine.

Hu 70% Dark Mint

Billy’s other bar of choice? Hu’s 70% Dark Mint Bar.

If you’re unfamiliar with Hu, they’re known for crafting some of the finest chocolate you’ll ever find in a grocery store. With intense focus on ingredient quality, Hu checks all the boxes, particularly when it comes to sweeteners, one of the biggest obstacles to creating healthy, great-tasting chocolate.

No refined sugars? Check. No sugar alcohols? Check. They even avoid cane sugar as well, instead utilizing arguably the best choice for sweetening chocolate, unrefined organic coconut sugar.

Hu also steers clear of emulsifiers and soy lecithin as well. And just in case you doubt their sincerity, they even trademarked their slogan: “No weird ingredients. Ever.”

Indeed, as they so bluntly put it on their own website, “We couldn’t find a chocolate that met our standards. So we made our own.”

Their chocolate itself is always crafted with three simple, organic ingredients: cacao, cocoa butter, and unrefined coconut sugar, nothing more. For Billy’s favorite bar, the 70% Dark Crunchy Mint, Hu adds only organic Fairtrade cacao nibs and organic peppermint oil to round out this delectable chocolate perfection.

Although it’s not his specific focus, Billy does appreciate that Hu and Taza are both organic and Fair Trade. His true concern tilts much more to the healthy side. If trying to cut weight for a fight, he’ll stick to 70-90% Dark, and just eat a little to savor the chocolate flavor for a bit.

When not in weight dropping mode, he prefers 55% to 70% Dark. Also, if he doesn’t have access to his chocolate, he’ll drink a plant-based, Chocolate Orgain Protein Shake for a little chocolate fix.

Chocolate Adventures

The second part to Billy’s chocolate life is really just exploration.

The most recent case in point here comes from a trip to Machu Picchu in 2023. Billy and his wife Katie stayed about two hours outside of Machu Picchu itself in the amazing little town of Sacred Valley. The town is home to the Rio Sagrado Belmond, an ex-drug lord’s home properly, and spectacularly, converted into a gorgeous hotel.

Also as part of the adventure, Billy and Katie planned a stop by Choco Museo, a fun little chocolate museum in the nearby town of Ollantaytambo.

The museum even offers a Chocolate Making Workshop, where for two hours you can learn about Peru’s own chocolate history, all while crafting your very own bean-to-bar chocolate.

One of the couple’s favorite memories, however, took place about seventeen miles east of Sacred Valley, in the rustic town of Pisac. Turns out Pisac is home to an absolutely incredible market (simply known as Pisac Market) selling fresh fruits, vegetables, and much, much more.

Billy recalls the sheer size, like massive, swap meet size, being somewhat out of place for the small town it calls home. “People travel up to 12 hours to get there,” Billy says. “It’s a really big deal in the area, and we felt privileged to even be there to enjoy it.”

Their only regret from the trip? Not being able to fit in a full-day tour of a cocoa farm in the jungle of Cusco. It sounds like an incredible way to spend a day in Peru!

On a side note, speaking of exploration, ask Billy what his all-time favorite chocolate moment is, and you actually won’t hear any bar referenced, despite the frequency with which he eats them.

“Yes, I remember my favorite chocolate moment quite well… It was in Italy several years back, and it wasn’t a bar… it was gelato. I was in a quaint little gelato shop, where the chocolate flavor was so perfect, you’d think they grew their own cacao in the back yard. Outstanding.”

Billy Crafton Jiu Jitsu

I’d be remiss in writing about Billy without diving into what he’s really known best for (after all, his A-Team type work is more ninja than public figure)… and that is clearly Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

He’s no amateur enthusiast, either. Billy is a Black Belt, he’s competed in the USA, Europe, and even Kazakhstan, and has won several championships along the way. The big question he’s always asked, however, is a simple one (much simpler than learning how to counter a leg drag): How did you even get into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the first place?

Billy answers –

“When I finished playing college football at Miami of Ohio, I was doing a lot of running and marathons, playing basketball, surfing… but there was a controlled aggressiveness, that perfect way to sort of zone in and truly compete, that I really missed from playing football.

With football, when you step onto the field, whether you’re black, white, whatever… gay, straight… no matter your background… you go in there to compete to the fullest.

Then, when it’s over, you shake hands, go grab a beer, and develop a camaraderie that many people in this world will never have. There’s a bit of magic in that spirit of competition and mutual respect for one another.

So that can leave a bit of a void after graduation for many collegiate athletes, and for me, jiu jitsu wound up filling it… the void I was missing post-football.”

Competitive Culture Shock

Although jiu jitsu does indeed fill the void, it’s still a very different sport, quite isolated in its uniqueness. Indeed, it’s much more an art than a sport, as Billy readily notes –

“Jiu jitsu means gentle art. It’s a chess match with a physical element to it, and one that’s always evolving, where you’re continually refining and trying to make little improvements to get better.”

It also clearly echoes the same sentiments from the football field, which can be a bit of a shock if you’re new to jiu jitsu competitions.

Billy recalls how his wife was shocked the first time she saw him compete –

“I was talking to guys in the warmup area, laughing, shaking hands before the bout… and then half an hour later I’m out there trying to take them down on the mat. She was not expecting to see that, especially with how intense the training and preparation can be.

And then, just like in my Miami of Ohio days, a few hours later we’re all out for beers together. It really is a beautiful thing.”

Ear of the Tiger?

As a great ancillary benefit to jiu jitsu (one that now has its own niche for non-competitors), if you’re ever around some kind of physical aggression in public, you instinctively know how to defend yourself and others, and how to defuse a potentially violent situation as well.

Hardened jiu jitsu competitors can also start to look the part, at least for people who know what to look for in one. Although I certainly didn’t notice during our interview, Billy’s ears apparently tell the tale after almost 20 years of fighting. Ears can get calcified, and it’s noticeable if you know where to look, which of course ardent fighting fans tend to know.

“My cauliflower ears sometimes make people think I’m a UFC fighter,” he mentions. “And I actually look like a specific, retired UFC fighter, whom people sometimes mistake me for.”

He laughs out loud a little just thinking about the difference ears make –

“One time a UFC fan came up to me while I was out with a famous athlete client in San Diego, and he asked about my ears, where I fought, etc… all the while completely oblivious to the actual famous athlete standing there with me.

The athlete couldn’t help but laugh as I stood there fielding fighting questions. I think it was probably a nice break for him to not get hounded for once.”

As a bonus, the mistaken identity sometimes brings with it free food and drinks while in Vegas, where the UFC doppelganger syndrome really kicks into high gear.

The best part of it, however, is clear — Billy has never been in a fight because of it. People tend to give respect to fighters.

Chocolate vs. Goliath

Back to the competitive jiu jitsu world, Billy recently flew all the way to Kazakhstan for a tournament, and brought his two favorite dark chocolate bars with him to enjoy every night, just like he does at home. Call it part of the routine. He laughs a moment thinking back…

“I’m in Kazakhstan, twelve hours ahead of the USA, so my internal clock is of course a bit off kilter… and there I am getting ready to fight a big, big guy in an international competition… And what am I doing? Sitting there enjoying a Taza chocolate bar while watching a Netflix documentary.”

Billy joked (well I think it was a joke, but check out the tournament poster here and judge for yourself) that his opponent for that match trained by lifting giant tree logs.

And the outcome? Look, I’m not going to say it was the Taza chocolate, but facts are facts – Billy won the match.

Giving Back

One other part to Billy’s life has been his penchant for giving back. As part of the interview, I specifically asked him about one of them I noticed, a favorite military nonprofit for both of us, Helping Hands for Freedom. Noting that he’s extensively donated to them over the years, I asked him why he feels philanthropy is so important to him?

“Lived a blessed life, had a lot of things go my way, so it’s easy to give back. I’m not really into buying lots of fancy things… I’d rather spend money on helping people who have put their lives on the line and their families.”

Along those same lines, you’ll also find Billy on IMDb (the Internet Movie Database) too, as he’s partially backed four different film projects over the past several years. The latest is a really cool project called THE DIAMOND KING, where he actually serves as Executive Producer.

THE DIAMOND KING holds a special place, because it’s about a famous painter who paints baseball cards, Marq Evans. Billy elaborates…

“I grew up collecting baseball cards, work with baseball players, and have worked with the director before, so that one was a quick yes.”

Please feel free to check out THE DIAMOND KING and Billy Crafton’s IMDb profile as well by clicking the linked text.

Four Out of Five Dentists

On a final note, I ask Billy for the earliest chocolate memory he can recall. Like many of us, yours truly included, he tips a cap to the peanut butter cup as his first chocolate addiction.

He also reminisces on the old Hershey’s 4-variety miniature chocolates we all coveted when young –

“We all hated the Special Dark bars when we were kids, but now it’s the only one even remotely palatable out of those four choices.”

When growing up though, his parents didn’t keep many sweets in the house, especially since his father was a dentist. In fact, his most memorable chocolate moment from early childhood actually comes from a pending trip to a different dentist —

“Since my Dad was a dentist himself, he would send me to a colleague for any dental work, and he always wanted me to show up at my best.

One time, right before a dental appointment, my mom had just brushed my teeth, got me all ready to go…

As we’re about to leave, she comes out into the kitchen, and there I am, literally standing on the counter, eating part of a giant semi-sweet baking chocolate bar!

The irony of the dentist’s son gorging himself on a block of chocolate right before going out the door to see another dentist, especially a colleague of my Dad’s no less… obviously eating a chocolate block was NOT part of his plan for me showing up at my best!”

Those kinds of stories always hold up later in life, and it’s great when they actually become subtle signposts for a long, enjoyable chocolate journey… one we often start, even subconsciously, at a much younger age, in funny moments such as standing on a counter eating a giant block of chocolate!

They’re the moments that make our interviews the most fun to conduct, and this first one we’ve done with one of our readers has definitely been a pleasure.

I hope you enjoyed our first ever Chocolate Connoisseur Profile as well, and I look forward to publishing more of these in our future.