National Selection contest for World Chocolate Masters

Three master chocolatiers, Alecia Chan from Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, Sassi Matteo from Sydney’s Choco Bean Catering and Rebecca Carins from Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School in Melbourne, will be competing on Sunday 25 May for the opportunity to represent Australia at the World Chocolate Masters next year in Paris.

Visitors will watch in awe as entrants create a chocolate sculpture around the theme “Inspiration from Nature” over eight gruelling hours in the competition organised by Australia’s ‘Queen of Chocolate’ Kirsten Tibballs and proudly presented by Callebaut’s premium chocolate brand Cacao Barry.

In addition to a spectacular showpiece, competitors must also create 40 moulded chocolates, 40 enrobed chocolates and two gateaux within the allotted eight hours.

Judging the contenders will be Kanjiro Mochizuki from The Imperial Hotel Japan, who is considered one of the world’s leaders in sugar work and has served on the jury of the National Pastry Team Championship and Coupe de Monde in Lyon. He will be joined by Australia’s ‘celebrity patissier’ Adriano Zumbo, and Deniz Karaca, who was placed third when he competed in Paris at the World Chocolate Masters in 2013.

“With the recent success of Australian chefs in competitions all around the world, this will be an one-off opportunity to see first hand the dedication and skill from Australia’s stars of the chocolate and pastry world,” says Tibballs, who is also Director and founder of Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School.

“The contest is excruciating, requiring steady hands and intense concentration,” she adds. “And trust me, you haven’t seen heartache until you’ve seen a chocolate showpiece fall apart!”

The World Chocolate Masters is the only competition in the world solely dedicated to the creative use of chocolate. In the 2015 competition chocolatiers will be encouraged to play with different colours, shapes, scents and textures. According to Cacao Barry, “We like to invite chocolate creators around the world to explain us how natural products are shaped and transformed into a delightful story with cacao and chocolate at the heart.”

Foodservice Australia Exhibition Director Timothy Collett says the World Chocolate Masters is part of an impressive lineup of events at the show, including the Rare Medium Chef of the Year, Australia’s Best Pie Competition, the Café School, the FSAA annual Conference and the Global Pizza and Pasta Challenge.

“These world-class events, combined with the exciting new products and dynamic exhibits we have come to expect from industry suppliers, make this a truly must-see show,” he says.

All visitors must work in the food or hospitality industry, and children will not be admitted. Registration is normally $20 but visitors can pre-register for free by visiting the show website www.foodserviceaustralia.com.au.

25-27 May 2014

Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park, Sydney