Chicago/USA – Cacao Barry®, the premium French chocolate brand, held its annual Chocolatier of the Year challenge at the state-of-the-art Barry Callebaut CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ Center in Chicago this weekend. Jerome Jacob, Assistant Pastry Chef at the Bellagio Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada was declared the overall winner.
Jacob, who also took home the awards for Best Tasting and Best Showpiece, was one of five who competed to win the coveted title after being selected in a nationwide search that took place last December. Second place was awarded to Sean Pera of The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary, North Carolina, while Romain Fournel from Jean-Philippe Pâtisserie in Las Vegas, Nevada claimed third place. The other contestants that competed at the prestigious event included:
•Kei Hasegawa, Pastry Chef, Matsuhisa Restaurant, Beverly Hills, California
•Santosh Tiptur, Executive Pastry Chef, Co Co. Sala Restaurant and Chocolate Boutique, Washington, D.C.
As L’Art du Chocolatier™ Challenge is an unparalleled demonstration of chocolate proficiency in working with the French premium brand, the competition requires a team of judges with demonstrated talent and expertise in the field. This year’s panel of esteemed chefs included:
•John Kraus, Proprietor and Chef, Pâtisserie 46, Minneapolis, MN
•Jérôme Landrieu, Cacao Barry Technical Advisor & Director of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy™ Center Chicago, IL
•Frédéric Moreau, Cacao Barry Ambassador & Executive Pastry Chef, The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA
•Christophe Morel, Master Chocolatier, “Christophe Morel”, and Cacao Barry Ambassador, Canada
•Josep Maria Ribé, Technical Advisor, Chocolate Academy™ Center, Gurb, Spain
Cacao Barry Technical Advisor & Director of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy Jérôme Landrieu noted, "L'Art du Chocolatier is a great opportunity for pastry professionals to showcase their skills and chocolate expertise. Contestants' personalities and unique craftsmanship are portrayed in the artistic pieces they create. As a team, we strive to challenge and inspire the next generation of pastry professionals to innovate and embark on new creative experiences."
About Cacao Barry® (www.cacao-barry.com):
By constantly inventing and reinventing Pastry and Gastronomy, France gave its name and mark to this art. It is a tradition envied by the whole world. It is all about creativity, innovation, and above all passion. Since its creation in 1842, Cacao Barry® has been entirely committed to this heritage. Today Cacao Barry® provides the most complete palette of products, to all passionate chocolate craftsmen around the world: chocolate and couvertures, pralinés, origins and exclusive plantations, decorations and moulds, inspiring them and opening doors to new creative experiences. Besides, Cacao Barry® offers the widest international community of chocolate professionals, Ambassadors’ Club and Chocolate Academies to support craftsmen and chefs on their quest for perfection. Cacao Barry® is a global Gourmet brand of Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate.
Barry Callebaut (www.barry-callebaut.com):
With annual sales of about CHF 4.8 billion (EUR 4.0 billion / USD 5.2 billion) for fiscal year 2011/12, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate – from the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate product. Barry Callebaut is present in 30 countries, operates around 45 production facilities and employs a diverse and dedicated workforce of about 6,000 people. Barry Callebaut serves the entire food industry focusing on industrial food manufacturers, artisans and professional users of chocolate (such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs or bakers), the latter with its two global brands Callebaut® and Cacao Barry®. Barry Callebaut is the global leader in cocoa and chocolate innovations and provides a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing. Cost leadership is another important reason why global as well as local food manufacturers work together with Barry Callebaut. Through its broad range of sustainability initiatives and research activities, the company works with farmers, farmer organizations and other partners to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods.
Source: Barry Callebaut