UK Chocolate Masters Finals to be held at Speciality Chocolate Fair

Speciality Chocolate Fair, the UK’s only trade show devoted to fine and artisan chocolate, has been announced as the host for the UK Chocolate Masters Finals.

Chocolate artisans and pastry chefs will descend on Speciality Chocolate Fair from 2-4 September 2012 to showcase their creations in a bid to be crowned National Chocolate Master. Each finalist will have to produce a chocolate cake, two pralines, a dessert and one artistic creation.

The champion will then go on to compete in the World Chocolate Masters in Paris in 2013, the world’s leading culinary contest dedicated solely to the art of chocolate.

Created in 2005 the Chocolate Masters is an initiative by Cacao Barry, Callebaut and Carma, which has developed a unique identity for being the most challenging chocolate contest in the world, focusing on the individual skills of each contestant.

Event Manager of the fair, Soraya Gadelrab, explains, “The dedicated chocolate Fair has become an increasingly popular attraction since its launch in 2008, playing host to demonstrations from renowned chocolatiers such as Willie Harcourt-Cooze, William Curley, Paul A Young, Damian Allsop and Paul Wayne Gregory.”

Robert Harrison, gourmet business manager at Barry Callebaut, says, “Hosting the UK arm of the competition at Speciality Chocolate Fair adds a further level of gravitas to the proceedings; it is only appropriate the contest is held at the definitive event for the chocolate industry, and we hope that this helps attracts more attention to the national final than ever before.”

Despite being nine months away, a host of names have already committed to the 2012 Fair, including: Chococru; Crème D’Or Ltd; El Tesoro Ltd; Galeta; The Gourmet Chocolate Pizza Co.; HF Chocolates; House of Dorchester Ltd; House of Sarunds; Le Chocolate; Prestat; Rococo Chocolates; and Valrhona.