For Ritz-Carlton Naples executive pastry chef Lerome Campbell, Christmas isn't complete without candy.
"I mean, I have a sweet tooth vocation, but I have a sweet tooth. So, one for the house and one for my mouth," laughed Campbell.
Campbell displays candy on what you might call the largest gingerbread house known to man.
"We actually did ten-hour days. I would say thirty hours just to put the candy there. There are twelve hundred bricks on the house," said Campbell.
Two thousand pounds of gummies, Hershey chocolate bars, and more are added.
"All of the candy on this house costs roughly $7,000," said Campbell.
Building the best gingerbread house imaginable is a tradition Lerome, and his team at the Ritz-Carlton Naples strive for each year.
"As soon as I finish the house, it's like a lightbulb that pops in your head like, oh, maybe we should do this next year," said Campbell.
For the first year ever, the house touts a 3D hologram of Santa Claus.
"The same way you are looking at the house through the eyes of a child," said Campbell. "Thinking about all these things like 'Oh, this would be so cool to have this.' We have generations of families coming here over the year,s and it creates a memory for them."
For Lerome, every last gingerbread cookie is worth it.
"As long as you love what you do, it doesn't matter how many hours you put in. Pastry is my passion. It is my dream," said Campbell.
His work is just the icing on that dream.
"I feel very proud because I'm creating memories for all of these guests who come here," said Campbell.
Holidays or not, Lerome is a testament to finding joy in everything you do.
