Barry Callebaut has opened its first Chocolate Academy in South America, in São Paulo, Brazil. 

The center, which specializes in chocolate, offers a wide range of training courses and demonstrations for customers in all sectors, including: chocolatiers, chefs, pastry, bakery and other chocolate experts as well as culinary professionals working in hotels, restaurants and the catering business.

“Many Brazilian chocolate experts travel to Europe and North America to take courses. Now they can find a high-level place around the corner, here in Brazil," explains Bertrand Busquet, French chef and technical advisor at the new Brazilian chocolate training center.

Located at Paulista Avenue in São Paulo, it's a state-of-the-art teaching and training facility for culinary professionals at all levels interested in strengthening their skills in working with chocolate and learning about new techniques, trends and recipes dedicated to the Brazilian market. 

The goal is to encourage the exchange of technical expertise between professionals at the center, which will showcase the knowledge accumulated over more than 150 years by Barry Callebaut's world-leading Global Gourmet chocolate brands, Callebaut and Cacao Barry, and well as the company's local brand Sicao.

The new center occupies 473 sq. meeters at Barry Callebaut’s Brazilian headquarters. It features a professional kitchen with individual marble countertops for the chocolate pre-crystallization and all the equipment and utensils one would find in the world's best schools. 

Besides Technical Advisor Bertrand Busquet, international chefs and teachers from abroad will share their knowledge and techniques at the new center in São Paulo.

The first guest will be award-winning chef Joseph Ribé, technical advisor at Barry Callebaut's Chocolate Academy in Gurb, Spain. He will conduct a confectionery and pastry course from July 23 to 25.

For Bertrand Remy, general manager of Barry Callebaut in Brazil, the new Chocolate Academy is an important element in further strengthening the company's footprint in Brazil.

“We will create new recipes with and for the Brazilians and discover innovative ways of using chocolate," he says. "Brazil offers a fantastic, unique opportunity, for we have a complete chain here, from the cocoa bean to the chocolate, and the Brazilian people are always eager to embrace something new."

The new Chocolate Academy in São Paulo will be integrated into the network of Barry Callebaut's 14 other training centers all around the world. About 26,000 professionals and artisans receive training at these centers every year.