• World’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products opens new, unique chocolate training center in city center of Moscow/Russia
• New CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center offers a wide range of workshops and demonstrations for chefs, culinary professionals as well as chocolate experts

The Barry Callebaut Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, announced the opening of its new state-of –the-art CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center in Russia’s capital, Moscow.

In 2008 Barry Callebaut opened its first training center for chocolate professionals on the premises of its chocolate factory in Chekhov, 60 km south of Moscow. Relocated now to the city center of Moscow, the new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ will remain a unique training center in Russia. It is the only such center to offer a diverse range of seminars, demonstrations, theoretical courses and practical workshops, designed to inspire artisans and culinary professionals, including chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakery and other chocolate experts as well as culinary professionals working in hotels, restaurants and the catering business. The center will also serve as a meeting place for chocolate professionals encouraging the exchange of technical expertise among each other.

The new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center will showcase the knowledge accumulated over more than 150 years by Barry Callebaut’s global Gourmet chocolate brands Callebaut^® (Belgium artisanal chocolate), Cacao Barry^® (French artisanal chocolate) and Carma^® (Swiss artisanal chocolate).

The well-known French chef, Wielfried Hauwell, will share his experience in the art of chocolate and act as the Head of the new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center in Moscow. “With our relocated, modernized training center, we aim to empower all chocolate professionals in the region to create and express themselves with all the chocolates we are offering – way beyond the technical barriers of this wonderful working material”, comments Hauwell. “Chefs and confectioners hardly find an occasion or a central place in Russia where they can further develop their skills, learn from experienced expert teachers and exchange new ideas among each other. Our new training center for chocolate now centrally located in Russia’s capital Moscow will serve as such a spot! It is a unique place where we are cultivating an atmosphere of curiosity, creativity and inspiration for both professionals and chocolate lovers”, he adds.

To move the CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center from Chekhov to Moscow is for Frederic Trombert, Vice President of Barry Callebaut’s Gourmet division in the EEMEA region, an important element in further strengthening the company’s footprint both in Russia as well as in the Group’s EEMEA region: “We are convinced our new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center will become the beating chocolate heart for chefs and foodies not only in the Moscow area, but all over Russia and also across all CIS countries. This will bring us even closer to our Gourmet customers, helping them to further build and strengthen their know-how to become a master of their craft while using our products.” Trombert adds: “We want to be here because it is our aim to support the excellence at the highest level. To inspire craftsmen, to discover new technics, new tastes, new combinations and, ultimately, we also want to provide the knowledge platform for young talents.”

Barry Callebaut’s new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center at Novoyasenevskiy prospect 2A in the South of Moscow occupies almost 300 m² (including the office for the Russian Gourmet sales team). The spacious workshop center features a professional kitchen with all the equipment and utensils one would find in the world’s best schools. Among the official partners of the CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center in Moscow are such well-known producers of the professional equipment and utensils like: Irinox, Selmi, de Buyer and many more. The new chocolate training center can also be used by third parties and rented out as a venue for events, tastings and official receptions.

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

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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 Barry
Callebaut^®, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate.

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^® was created in 1931 in Zurich by Carl Maentler, who decided to launch high quality ready-to-use products in order to facilitate the work of pastry chefs. For 80 years, Carma^® has been recognized as a reference brand in the pastry and confectionery sectors as well as in the gastronomy, hotel, restaurant and catering sector (HORECA). Thanks to its successful expansion and increasing demand, Carma^® is exported to a broad customer base around the world. Today, Carma^® is the Swiss Gourmet brand of Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate.

About Barry Callebaut Group:
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 sourcing 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.