• New state-of-the-art facility provides chefs and culinary professionals the chance to train and experiment with the most comprehensive and diverse selection of high-quality global Gourmet chocolate products
• CHOCOLATE ACADEMY^TM center in Tokyo is Barry Callebaut’s 19^th chocolate training center in the world and the 4^th in Asia Pacific
• Kohei Ogata appointed head of Tokyo CHOCOLATE ACADEMY^TM center and Callebaut chef, bringing with him 17 years of international and Japanese experience

The Barry Callebaut Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of high quality chocolate and cocoa products, today announced the opening of its first CHOCOLATE ACADEMY^TM center in Tokyo, Japan – its 19^th training center in the world and its fourth in the Region Asia Pacific, after Mumbai (India), Shanghai (China) and Singapore.  

Located in the world’s gourmet capital, Tokyo’s rich culinary profile and love for fusion and innovation in food will complement the CHOCOLATE ACADEMY^TM center’s potential as a center for the exchange of technical skills, training, dialogue and the sharing of love for all aspects related to chocolate and cocoa products.

“Japan is Asia’s largest consumer market for chocolate confectionery and it is highly recognized for chocolate innovation. The new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY^TM center in Tokyo brings us even closer to our regional Gourmet customers and will enable the Barry Callebaut Group to be in a better position to capitalize on growth opportunities in the region. It also reaffirms our commitment to the Japanese market place and its highly skilled professional chocolatiers and other users of chocolate,” said Mikael Neglen, President, Chocolate Asia Pacific, Barry Callebaut, at the official opening ceremony.

The CHOCOLATE ACADEMY^TM center in Japan will also showcase the knowledge accumulated over more than 150 years by Barry Callebaut’s global Gourmet chocolate brands Callebaut^® (chocolate made in Belgium), Cacao Barry^® (chocolate made in France) and CARMA^® (chocolate made in Switzerland).  

“The opening of Barry Callebaut’s 19^th CHOCOLATE ACADEMY^TM center in Tokyo is a symbolic move in promoting our position as a leader in the gourmet chocolate sector in the region. The new center will offer chefs world-class support and enable them to harness their skills to bring the best innovations in chocolate,” said Pascale Meulemeester, Vice-President Global Gourmet Brand Marketing of the Barry Callebaut Group.

The center’s offerings include a wide range of workshops, courses and demonstrations for professional customers in all sectors: chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers and other chocolate experts as well as culinary professionals working in hotels, restaurants and the catering business. They will be able to benefit from the modern kitchen and utensils that the academy is equipped with, to perfect their expertise in chocolate under the guidance of Barry Callebaut’s specially-trained and renowned chefs and the elite Chocolate Ambassadors Club.

To meet the evolving needs of the gourmet chocolate industry, the new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center will encourage and support chefs and culinary professionals to express themselves, exchange ideas with one another and experiment with new creations using Barry Callebaut’s high-quality Gourmet chocolate and cocoa products.

At the official inauguration event, Barry Callebaut also announced the appointment of Kohei Ogata as the head of the new training center and Callebaut chef.  He is most recognized for his work as the Chef Pâtissier in Japan for Henri Le Roux, the famous French chocolatier and caramélier, which has its chic chocolate shops in Paris, Brittany (France) and Tokyo. Andres Lara, Cacao Barry^® Regional Chef Asia Pacific, will also be based in the CHOCOLATE ACADEMY^TM center in Tokyo.

The Japanese are the biggest per capita consumers of chocolate in Asia Pacific with an average of 1.9 kg per annum (Source: ICA/CAOBISCO). Barry Callebaut’s CHOCOLATE ACADEMY^TM center in Japan will allow the company to progress hand-in-hand with Japanese innovation in the chocolate industry. Furthermore, the Group can take this opportunity to also capture the Japanese imagination on the tremendous potential of chocolate, develop newer and tastier recipes as well as impart its culture of excellence and passion for chocolate to the region.

The new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center in Tokyo will be integrated into the network of Barry Callebaut’s 18 other such training centers all around the world. About 38,000 professionals and artisans receive training at these CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ centers every year. For more information about the Barry Callebaut CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ centers please visit: www.chocolate-academy.com.

About Callebaut^® (www.callebaut.com):
For more than 100 years, Callebaut^® has been making chocolate in the heart of Belgium and is still one of the rare chocolate makers to select, roast and grind cacao beans into its own secret and exclusive cocoa mass – the most important ingredient for chocolate couvertures. Callebaut^® was established in 1850 in Belgium as a malt brewery and dairy company. It produced its first chocolate bars in 1911 and began production of chocolate couverture for Belgian chocolatiers soon after. Callebaut^® began exporting its products in 1950 to craftsmen all over the world and is part of the Barry Callebaut group, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cacao.

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.

About CARMA^® (www.carma.ch):
CARMA^®, the Swiss chocolate brand for professionals, was created in 1931 by Carl Maentler in Zurich to bring to market ready-to-use specialist products of the highest quality. Today, CARMA^® offers a wide range of high-quality products, which are manufactured in Switzerland (Dübendorf): couvertures, Massa Ticino^TM, baking pastes, fruit products, instant products and toppings. Thanks to its successful expansion and increasing demand, CARMA^® is the partner of demanding pastry chefs, confectioners and restaurateurs in Switzerland and more than 30 countries around the world.
CARMA^® is the Swiss Gourmet chocolate brand of Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products.

About Barry Callebaut Group (www.barry-callebaut.com):
With annual sales of about CHF 5.9 billion (EUR 4.8 billion / USD 6.5 billion) in fiscal year 2013/14, the Zurich-based Barry Callebaut Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products – from the origination and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings, decorations and compounds. The Group runs more than 50 production facilities worldwide and employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of over 9,300 people.
The Barry Callebaut Group serves the entire food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers. The two global brands catering to the specific needs of these Gourmet customers are Callebaut^® and Cacao Barry^®.
The Barry Callebaut Group is committed to sustainable cocoa production through its “Cocoa Horizons” initiative to help ensure future supplies of cocoa as well as improve farmer livelihoods.