Who We Are

Golden State Sweets founder Sarah Mouchet was born and raised in Orange County with a lifelong love of desserts—starting, like many pastry chefs, with an Easy-Bake Oven.

 

After graduating from USC with a degree in International Relations, Sarah found herself drawn back to what she had always loved: pastry. In 2012, she moved to Napa Valley to attend pastry school in St. Helena.

 

An internship at Per Se in New York City introduced her to the artistry of fine chocolate and left her determined to earn a place at The French Laundry. She went on to spend years with the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, working her way from unpaid intern and stage to Chocolatier at The French Laundry, with time at Bouchon Bakery along the way.

T

hose kitchens shaped the way she approaches pastry today—a respect for technique and precision, an appreciation for exceptional ingredients, and the belief that the smallest details matter.

Years later, as a new mother and with the pandemic turning everyday life upside down, Sarah found herself returning to chocolate as a creative outlet. What began at home during a season of enormous change grew organically into Golden State Sweets.

 

Today, Sarah is a mother of three, and Golden State Sweets continues to be handcrafted in small batches in Newport Beach—bringing together the technique of her restaurant years with the creativity and joy that brought her back to chocolate in the first place.