Speciality Chocolate goes live

As the demand for fine quality and artisan chocolate continues to grow, the UK’s Speciality Chocolate Fair returns this year at Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2011 for the fourth time – now with Speciality Chocolate Live. 

This expansion to the chocolate fair will include a demonstration theatre, featuring new techniques, flavour ideas and tastings from pastry chefs and chocolatiers. The feature, which is being run in conjunction with Valrhona, will also include seminars looking inside the chocolate industry and how businesses can educate their customers and differentiate their offering.

Those involved in Speciality Chocolate Live include Damian Allsop, a leading chocolatier. Damian will be heading up the session ‘Why and when to use water with chocolate’, which will examine where flavours come from in the chocolate process and will include a demonstration of a water based chocolate mousse. Damian will also be showcasing his new range from his Pure collection and conducting a group tasting.

Ivan Icra Salicru, the previous pastry chef at Locanda Locatelli and now operations manager for the Giorgio Locatelli Consultancy, will be running a session on chocolate ice cream fusions. As part of the session Ivan will demonstrate how to create chocolate and olive oil ice cream.

Soraya Gadelrab, event manager of Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2011, says, “Consumer demand for fine and artisan chocolate is continually growing and it was due to this that we decided to introduce Speciality Chocolate Live. The demonstration theatre will provide increased interaction for our visitors and give a greater insight into the industry today and the opportunities which chocolate can deliver to their businesses. The exhibitors on display at this year’s Speciality Chocolate Fair range from international premium chocolate brands such as Kshocolât and Fauchon to hand made varieties, including James Chocolates, which are carefully made in Somerset, to the speciality chocolatiers Antton Chocolatier.”