Barry Callebaut opens new Chocolate Academy and office in Shenzhen. This will be its 3rd academy and 4th office in the Southeastern city of China.
Barry Callebaut currently has a local factory in Suzhou, the new Shenzhen site adds to its growing China portfolio of sales offices and Chocolate Academy Centres after Shanghai and Beijing and will be its 23rd Chocolate Academy Centre globally.
Ben De Schryver, president of Barry Callebaut at Asia Pacific says,
The inauguration of the office and the Chocolate Academy in Shenzhen is part of our continuous expansion in China, and another milestone in our growth story which started here 12 years ago.
We’ll continue to invest in our business and strengthen our collaboration with food manufacturers and artisanal customers in China.
According to the company, the Chocolate Academy Centres enable artisans, pastry chefs, confectioners, bakers and caterers through education and personalised support to create the chocolate creations.
Denis Convert, vice president of gourmet for Barry Callebaut at Asia Pacific. says,
China is one of our largest gourmet markets in the world. Our Chocolate Academy Centers in China have become a hub of expertise, creativity and inspiration for both professionals and chocolate lovers. And this extends online too.
We support our customers and empower chefs to be at their very own best. They can explore chocolate science, innovative techniques and inspiring recipes together with world-leading chocolatiers, pastry chefs and bakers.
In the last 12 years, more than 5,000 craftspeople in China have attended training and demonstrations in the Chocolate Academy Centres in Shanghai and Beijing.
The centres have even expanded and started to host online learning sessions in Mandarin on topics such as home baking, which attracted over 130,000 viewers since February 2020.
Barry Callebaut has launched a number of new building projects and initiatives this year as it continues to expand its global reach.
As previously reported last month, the company broke ground on the construction of a built a new cocoa facility in Durán, Ecuador, laying the foundation for the future growth of the cocoa value chain in the South American country.
Earlier this summer, Barry Callebaut also expanded its facility in Singapore, adding a 4th production line to boost the volume of its chocolate production for the Asia Pacific market.
