ATLANTA — Pastry Live is excited to announce the finalists for the 2013 Chocolatier of the Year. Carefully selected for their expertise and abilities, each competitor will be required to produce two different chocolates sold in their shop. As both taste and appearance are key criteria to be evaluated, each chocolatier will have to meticulously handcraft their creations in order to obtain the title of Chocolatier of the Year. Competing on Sunday, August 25th, here are this year’s finalists:
- Robin Autorino, Robin Chocolates, Longmont, CO
- Jose Luis Castellanos, Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy Center, Chicago, IL
- Melissa Coppel, Jean-Marie Auboine Chocolates, Las Vegas, NV
- Leslie Davis, CocoFlow Chocolate Café, Oklahoma City, OK
- Robyn Dochterman, St. Croix Chocolate Company, Marine on St. Croix, MN
- Ross Evans, Stars Restaurant Rooftop and Grill Room, Charleston, SC
- Carlo Figarella, The Art Institute of Washington, Roselyn, VA
- Brandon Lee, Modern Chocolatier, Charlotte, NC
- Maura Metheny, Norman Love Confections, Fort Myers, FL
- Karen Neugebauer, Forte Chocolates, Mount Vernon, WA
- Luis Robledo-Richards, Tout Chocolat, Mexico City, Mexico
- Evan Sheridan, University Club of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Andrea Smith, diAmano Chocolate, Atlanta, GA
- Amy Stankus, Chocolate South, Atlanta, GA
- Santosh Tiptur, Co Co. Sala, Washington, DC
- Emma Kate Veader, The Hess Collection Winery, Napa, CA
The Chocolatier of the Year competition is designed with small chocolatier business owners in mind, offering national recognition for their skills and the opportunity for these artisans to display their talents in a competitor friendly environment. In order to give the audience a voice in the judging process, attendees will have the chance to taste test the competitor’s chocolates and vote for their favorite chocolatier for the People’s Choice Award.
Pastry Live 2013, to be held August 25th, 26th and 27th, will also host several other competitions in addition to the Chocolatier of the Year, including the Art of Cake, the National Showpiece Championship, the Signature Plated Dessert and the Student Chocolate Challenge. Highlighted during these competitions will be some of the nation’s premier talents. The three day event will also feature seminars instructed by the top names in the industry. Various topics will be covered, offering cutting edge techniques and training to help attendees advance to the next level.
For more details about Pastry Live and the Chocolatier of the Year competition, please contact Event Producer Paul Bodrogi at chef@pastrylive.com or (678) 881-9490. Further information is also available on our website at www.pastrylive.com.
Source: Pastry Live 2013