Barry Callebaut inaugurates new office and Chocolate Academy Center in Shenzhen, China

Barry Callebaut opens its fourth office and the third Chocolate Academy Center in China, with hopes of better serving south China.

Barry Callebaut recently held a ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new office and Chocolate Academy Center in Shenzhen, China. The chocolate supplier hopes the new center, pictured here, will bring them closer to gourmet customers in South China.

The Barry Callebaut Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, opened its fourth office and the third Chocolate Academy Center in China at Shenzhen.

“I am excited about the great growth potential China offers,” said Ben De Schryver, president of Barry Callebaut Asia Pacific. “The inauguration of the new office and the Chocolate Academy Center in Shenzhen is part of our continuous expansion in China and another milestone in our successful growth story which started here 12 years ago."

He said the state-of-the-art facilities will help the company meet growing demand for high-quality chocolate creations.

“We will continue to invest in our business and strengthen our collaboration with food manufacturers and artisanal customers in China,” De Schryver said.

After Suzhou, Shanghai and Beijing, the Shenzhen office is well-positioned to become the company’s operational hub in southern China. Barry Callebaut currently has a local factory in Suzhou, as well as sales offices and Chocolate Academy Centers in Shanghai and Beijing, to which it now adds Shenzhen.

The new office in Shenzhen includes a state-of-the-art Chocolate Academy Center, the third in China and the 23rd globally.

Through inspiration, education and personalized support, the Chocolate Academy Centers enable artisans, pastry chefs, confectioners, bakers and caterers to create the chocolate delights of tomorrow.

In the last 12 years, more than 5,000 craftsmen in China have attended training and demonstrations in the Chocolate Academy Centers in Shanghai and Beijing. The centers also have recently hosted several online learning sessions in Mandarin on topics such as home baking, which have attracted more than 130,000 viewers since February 2020.

“China is one of our largest gourmet markets in the world," said Denis Convert, v.p. gourmet for Barry Callebaut Asia Pacific. “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 the world-leading chocolatiers, pastry chefs and bakers.”