Chicago, – Cacao Barry®, the premium French chocolate brand, has selected five finalists to vie for Chocolatier of the Year in 2013 in the 3rd annual L'Art du Chocolatier Challenge™, an 'all chocolate' competition that encourages creativity and expertise in designing and executing original creations.

After a nationwide search of top pastry chefs across the United States, the following five were selected:

-Romain Fournel, Assistant Pastry Chef, Jean-Philippe Pâtisserie,
-Las Vegas, Nev.
-Kei Hasegawa, Pastry Chef, Matsuhisa Restaurant, Beverly Hills, Calif.
-Jérôme Jacob, Assistant Pastry Chef, Bellagio Resort Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
-Santosh Tiptur, Executive Pastry Chef, Co Co. Sala Restaurant and Chocolate Boutique, Washington, D.C.
Sean Pera, Pastry Cook, The Umstead Hotel & Spa, Cary, N.C.

The finalists will compete in the event, May 16-18, 2013 at the state-of-the-art Barry Callebaut CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ demonstration and training center in Chicago for the chance to be crowned Chocolatier of the Year 2013 and a chance to win up to $12,000 in cash and prizes.

On the first day of competition, the chefs will be judged on their pre-submitted gâteaux de voyage and spreadable paste. Additionally, they will create an original chocolate showpiece representing this year's theme of 'Africa.' On the second day, the finalists will be required to create a chocolate tablet, dessert in a glass and a soft caramel.

Contestants will be evaluated on appearance and presentation, adherence to rules, creativity, cleanliness, incorporation of or adherence to the theme, taste and technique.

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About Cacao Barry® (www.cacao-barry.com):

By constantly inventing and reinventing Pastry and Gastronomy, France gave its name and mark to this art. It is a tradition envied by the whole world. It is all about creativity, innovation, and above all passion. Since its creation in 1842, Cacao Barry® has been entirely committed to this heritage. Today Cacao Barry® provides the most complete palette of products, to all passionate chocolate craftsmen around the world: chocolate and couvertures, pralinés, origins and exclusive plantations, decorations and moulds, inspiring them and opening doors to new creative experiences. Besides, Cacao Barry® offers the widest international community of chocolate professionals, Ambassadors' Club and Chocolate Academies to support craftsmen and chefs on their quest for perfection. Cacao Barry® is a global Gourmet brand of Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate.

Barry Callebaut:
With annual sales of about CHF 4.8 billion (EUR 4.0 billion / USD 5.2 billion) for fiscal year 2011/12, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut is the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate – from the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate product. Barry Callebaut is present in 30 countries, operates around 45 production facilities and employs a diverse and dedicated workforce of about 6,000 people. Barry Callebaut serves the entire food industry focusing on industrial food manufacturers, artisans and professional users of chocolate (such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs or bakers), the latter with its two global brands Callebaut® and Cacao Barry®. Barry Callebaut is the global leader in cocoa and chocolate innovations and provides a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing. Cost leadership is another important reason why global as well as local food manufacturers work together with Barry Callebaut. Through its broad range of sustainability initiatives and research activities, the company works with farmers, farmer organizations and other partners to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods.