• Barry Callebaut opens new, unique innovation center specialized in chocolate – the first of its kind in Turkey
• CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center offers a wide range of workshops and demonstrations for chefs, culinary professionals as well as chocolate experts

Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, announces the opening of its first CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center in Turkey, the 16th in the company’s network of such training centers worldwide. Located in Istanbul, the CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center is a state-of-the-art teaching and workshop 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 Turkish market.

The CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center will showcase the knowledge accumulated over more than 150 years by Barry Callebaut’s global Gourmet chocolate brands such as Callebaut®, Cacao Barry^®, Carma^®. The center will also be a meeting place for chocolate professionals encouraging the exchange of technical expertise among each other.

Marc Pauquet, Technical Advisor and Director of the new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center explains: “Our new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center will offer a wide range of workshops to cover all demands – for beginners up to the experienced chef. Many Turkish chocolate experts travel to Europe to take courses. Now they can find a high-level place around the corner, here in Istanbul.” He adds, “We aim to promote a fruitful exchange between our Technical Advisors, brand Ambassadors and the local professionals from all food service specialties. We will create new recipes with and for the Turkish people and discover innovative ways of using chocolate.”

The center’s offerings include a wide range of workshops and demonstrations for customers in all sectors: chocolatiers, chefs, pastry, bakery and other chocolate experts as well as culinary professionals working in hotels, restaurants and the catering business.

Barry Callebaut’s new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center occupies 250m² at the company’s EEMA headquarters in Istanbul. The spacious workshop center 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, international chefs and teachers from abroad will share their knowledge and techniques at this new, unique innovation center for chocolate experts in the heart of Turkey. The first in a row of such international instructors will be the international Technical Advisor Philippe Marand – a French chef, and without doubt one of the key individuals in the world of gourmet chocolate.

For Frederic Trombert, Vice President of Barry Callebaut’s Gourmet & Specialties Products business in the EEMEA region, the new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™center is an important element in further strengthening the company’s footprint in Turkey as well as in the EEMEA region: “This is not just our first CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center in Turkey and the second one in our Region EEMEA. It stands for our commitment to the local chocolate market and shows how important Turkey is for our global brands Callebaut^®, Cacao Barry^® and Carma^®. Our new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ center in Istanbul also brings us closer to our customers. It will empower local chefs and artisans to delight their customers with superior creations anywhere, anytime.” says Frederic Trombert.

The new CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™center in Istanbul will be integrated into the network of Barry Callebaut’s 15 other 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.

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About Callebaut^® 
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® 
Cacao Barry^®offers a wide range of aromatic cacao and chocolates supporting artisans in their creations. The story of Cacao Barry^®started with the quest of its founder Charles Barry, who travelled to Africa in 1842 to seek out the best cacao bean varieties for his first true connoisseur’s chocolate. In 1923, the company was catapulted into the international arena, making Cacao Barry^®the first to investigate cacao cultivation in Latin America and other continents. From the day of its birth, Cacao Barry^®set new standards. The creation of the first range of rare-origin chocolate couvertures was a milestone in the industry, quickly followed by the introduction of plantation couvertures to answer chefs’ and food professionals’ growing desire for intensely aromatic and highly differentiating taste experiences. With the creation of MycryoTM, Cacao Barry^®tapped into the untouched potential of cacao butter as light, 100% vegetable frying fat. In 2007, the brand introduced the Or Noir Lab, a service offering chefs the opportunity to create their own signature chocolate. The Q-fermentation^TM technique is Cacao Barry^®latest innovation resulting from our historic curiosity in the creativity cacao is offering. By constantly challenging the standards in the industry, Cacao Barry^®desires to unlock and share the potential cacao and chocolate bring concerning aroma, texture and cuisine applications. Now and in the future.

About Carma^®
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. 

Barry Callebaut 
With annual sales of about CHF 4.9 billion (EUR 4.0 billion / USD 5.2 billion) in fiscal year 2012/13, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut 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 company runs more than 50 production facilities worldwide and employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of over 8,500 people. Barry Callebaut 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^®.

Barry Callebaut is committed to a sustainable cocoa production through its “Cocoa Horizons” initiative, and to help ensure future supplies of cocoa as well as improve farmer livelihoods.