CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) –Nearly 40 pounds of chocolate, seven hours of work and a pirate-themed sculpture helped a Charlottesville pastry chef earn national recognition.

Charles Zimmerman, executive pastry chef at Farmington Country Club, won first place in the Chocolate Artistry category at the 2026 National Pastry Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. The competition took place Oct. 5, with winners announced the following day.

Zimmerman’s chocolate sculpture featured a treasure chest, a tattered sail, skulls and a crashing wave.

“The theme that they actually assigned us was it had to tell a story,” Zimmerman said.

He drew inspiration from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” storyline and incorporated three required techniques: carved, sculpted and molded chocolate.

“I was trying to think of something that you could kind of convey artistically, but still was a familiar story,” Zimmerman told Cville Right Now.

Chefs had seven hours to complete their sculptures. Zimmerman’s finished piece stood about 3 1/2 feet tall and weighed nearly 40 pounds. Competitors could use up to 50 pounds of chocolate.

He practiced the design several times before traveling to North Carolina.

“When I finished, I was very proud of what we accomplished,” Zimmerman told Cville Right Now. “But I wasn’t sure, like, it could have been anyone’s game.”

Zimmerman won the judges’ choice award, while another competitor took home the people’s choice award. The winning chefs were surprised to learn they had both created nautical-themed sculptures.

The National Pastry Conference is a biennial gathering of pastry professionals, students and aspiring chefs. It features demonstrations, lectures, keynote speakers and eight competitions, including display cakes, frozen desserts, breads, plated desserts and chocolate artistry.

Zimmerman has 15 years of experience in the pastry industry. He also won Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship” and was a finalist on “Holiday Wars.”

His path into pastry began with an interest in art. Zimmerman initially planned to attend art school before pursuing cooking. He studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina, before adding a pastry degree.

“So I kind of double majored and it was like the perfect blend of science and art and uh, the food industry,” Zimmerman told Cville Right Now.

He worked in restaurants around the country, including in the Bay Area, Portland, Oregon, and New York City, before moving to Napa, California, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted restaurant operations.

An old boss later offered him a job in Charlottesville. Zimmerman moved to Charlottesville in February 2021 and eventually became executive pastry chef at Farmington Country Club.

He said he appreciates the support he receives at the club and has grown to love Charlottesville.

“I really appreciate the management and the members here at Farmington. They’re, they’re very supportive. And so I, I’m not in any rush to leave,” Zimmerman told Cville Right Now.

“And I mean, Charlottesville’s definitely grown on me. It’s a, it’s a very beautiful city and there are a lot of great people that live here,” he said.

At Farmington, Zimmerman creates wedding desserts, chocolate bonbons, plated desserts and buffets for special events. He said the variety gives him an opportunity to express himself creatively.

“So it’s a fun outlet to kind of express myself creatively in all those,” Zimmerman said.

After the sculpture was judged and displayed, Zimmerman dismantled it and brought the chocolate back to Charlottesville for reuse.

“It was on display for 2 hours. They did all the judging. They took pictures, all that stuff. And then at the end of the day, we broke it down. We smashed it up. We put it in containers. I brought it back to Charlottesville,” Zimmerman told Cville Right Now.

“I think it’s very kind of cathartic after all this practice and everything. You get to kind of feel a full circle moment,” he said.

“The beauty of chocolate is you can melt it all down and reuse it,” Zimmerman said.

He plans to use the chocolate in holiday creations, including Christmas-themed showpieces.

Zimmerman said he hopes to compete in larger events, potentially on an international level.

“That’s kind of what my next step is looking for even bigger, global competitions and seeing if I have what it takes to compete on that level,” Zimmerman told Cville Right Now.

For now, Zimmerman is preparing for the holiday season at Farmington, where he plans to continue expressing his creativity and challenging himself.