LEADING ARTISANS SET TO BRING FUTURE OF CHOCOLATE TO LIFE AT WORLD CHOCOLATE MASTERS 2022, AS FULL JURY LINE-UP CONFIRMED

World Chocolate Masters 2022 gets set for Paris finals with confirmation of the full jury line-up – including former participants, celebrity chefs and gastropreneurs, presided by Amaury Guichon. Now, 18 world class chefs and chocolatiers will push the boundaries of what’s possible in chocolate craft, before one is crowned the ultimate winner.

01 September 2022, Paris. Chocolate lovers, artisan chocolatiers, pâtissiers and chefs around the world are turning their attention to Paris, where the World Chocolate Masters final – the world’s N°1 chocolate competition showcasing the finest creative chocolate craft – will take place from October 29 to October 31.

Under the headline ‘#TMRW_TASTES_LOOKS_FEELS_LIKE’, the line-up of 18 talented finalists, representing the crème de la crème of the world’s chocolate artisans and aficionados, are set to take the floor at the Salon du Chocolat with support from a world-class jury. Encouraging chefs’ creativity with cacao and chocolate flavour excellence is at the heart of the World Chocolate Masters. A mission passionately shared by supporting brand Cacao Barry, which building on its heritage in French pastry-making since 1842 aims to empower chefs to go further, inspire them and give them new perspectives so that they can fully express their talent and their true nature.

A CREATIVE ARTISTRY THAT LASTS FOR TOMORROW’S WORLD

With the finals in sight, an equally impressive judging panel has been lined up to guide competitors towards taste, artistry and creativity, and launch the next generation of chocolate craft. Headed by Amaury Guichon – star of Netflix’s ‘School of Chocolate’, and thought to be the world’s most followed chocolate and pastry chef on social media – Australian pastry chef and TV personality Kirsten Tibballs and Japanese chef duo Yusuke Matsushita and Sachi Takagi, the full jury welcomes 22 experts who blend the worlds of gastronomy, pastry and confectionery.

“The World Chocolate Masters is an open invitation for chefs to express their true nature with cacao and chocolate flavours. And how better to mark 180 years of Cacao Barry than by looking at how tomorrow may taste?” explains Andrea Doucet Donida, Cacao Barry Global Brand Leader. “Cacao Barry elevates chefs’ creativity by unlocking the sensory richness of cacao, and ensuring source forests can thrive now and for generations to come. That richness creates a chef’s compendium of flavours to express their artistry through chocolate, and it’s this creative vision that the jury will be seeking before crowning the World Chocolate Master.”

With every participating region represented, the newly announced jury members are:

•  
• Japan – Hisashi Onobayashi
• United Arab Emirates – Charles Azar
• Poland – Krzysztof Ilnicki
• Belgium – David Maenhout
• Canada – Christophe Bonzon
• United States – Florent Cheveau
• Greater China – Jason Tsai
• France – Yann Couvreur
• Spain – Miquel Guarro
• Korea – Young Hoon Kim
• Switzerland – Felicia Ludwig
• Italy – Matteo Berti
• Hungary – Helena Fléglová
• Morocco – Tahar Ait Errami
• The Netherlands – Jurgen Koens
• United Kingdom – Alistair Birt
• Greece – Christos Lambrou
• Finland – Petri Siren

MEET THE JURY

They join a roster of 2022 finalists including US TV personality, chocolatier and pastry chef Christophe Rull, fresh from his participation in Netflix’s ‘Bake Squad’, along with Greek chocolate master Nicolas Nikolakopoulos, representing southeast Europe, who has acquired a cult Instagram following for his alchemistic creations.

Ultimately, only one can come out on top, and the contestant with the highest total score from jury members will be awarded the title of World Chocolate Master on October 31.

MEET THE FINALISTS

EXHIBITING THE PASSION AND TALENT OF THE WORLD’S CHOCOLATIERS

The World Chocolate Masters competition is a flagship initiative from Cacao Barry (part of the Barry Callebaut Group), which seeks to empower creative chefs, masters and the next generation to express their true nature through taste experiences and creative flair. With the chocolate industry predicted to reach $312 billion by 2030, there has never been a better time to display the ingenuity and talents of the world’s chocolatier community. Running since 2005, previous winners have included the likes of Davide Comaschi, Vincent Vallée, and Frank Haasnoot, whose sensorial designs, versatility and talent bring indulgence to life for chocolate lovers on a daily basis.

The final marks the culmination of a year-long competition, with rigorous qualifying national competitions taking place on 5 continents before the 18 finalists were whisked to Barcelona for an immersive 2-day bootcamp.

“The level of skill on display in this edition is exceptional – we’re truly seeing the best that the chocolate has to offer, from our judges to our contestants”, adds Naomi Wahl, World Chocolate Masters Committee chef. “Personally, I believe this year we’ll see some of the most awe-inspiring and imaginative chocolate creations yet, setting the standards for what the world will see on pastry shop counters and chocolatier shelves in the years to come.”

The 2022 World Final of the World Chocolate Masters will take place in:

Salon Du Chocolat
Porte de Versailles, PARIS
29 OCT – 31 OCT 2022

The event will be livestreamed at:
www.worldchocolatmasters.com

Follow the updates also on our digital channels:
www.worldchocolatmasters.com
facebook.com/worldchocolatemasters
instagram.com/worldchocolatemasters

Stay tuned for more:
www.worldchocolatemasters.com
www.cacao-barry.com
www.salonduchocolat.fr

Explorers of cacao flavour excellence and protectors of its diversity since 1842, we share the whole cacaofruit flavour experience, from nature to plate, with farmers and chefs.

A favourite among creative chefs in more than 90 countries, Cacao Barry, rooted in its French pastry heritage, offers a wide variety of fine flavour chocolates which cacao fruits and beans are carefully selected from exceptional plantations in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Fostering strong stimulating international chef communities is at the heart of Cacao Barry efforts to bring motivating inspirations to chefs, supported by their influential Ambassador network and the 26 Chocolate Academy centres around the world. Cacao Barry is committed to a responsible and sustainable future, with the goal to offer 100% sustainable chocolates by 2025. It already reached the milestone to have 100% sustainably sourced beans in 2020 and is the first chocolate brand to partner with the bee-friendly label for all its almond based products. In 2022, Evocao™ WholeFruit chocolate after receiving the Best Artisan Innovation Award, is also the first chocolate couverture in the world to be Upcycled certified by the Upcycled Food Association, leading the way in sustainable, good for you, the planet and its people chocolate.

Thanks to its Thriving nature commitment, Cacao Barry aims to ensure sustainable growth of the chocolate sector through a movement that includes farmers, civil society, industry, governments, and chocolate lovers supporting the Cocoa Horizon Program.

Cacao Barry empowers all creative chefs, masters and the next generation, to engage fully, to reach their vision: to express their true nature.

www.cacao-barry.com