French pastry chef Vincent Vallée is crowned World Chocolate Master 2015

Hailed as the ‘most challenging chocolate competition’ in the world of chocolate, it is the most prestigious title to win for chocolatiers. For the next three years Vincent Vallée will wear the title of world’s best chocolate craftsman. He gets the unique opportunity to visit a cocoa plantation and his work will be displayed in the world-renowned Harrods department store in London. Hinashi Onobayashi from Japan and Marijn Coertjens from Belgium got the silver and bronze medal. Diego Lozano from Brazil won the Social Media Award: the prize for the public’s favourite chocolate showpiece.

“During the competition Vincent Vallée set a whole new standard for innovation and creativity,” says Jean-Michel Perruchon, president of the jury of renowned chefs and food specialists. “The title of World Chocolate Master is a tribute to the skill, ingenuity and vision he has shown during the final.”

Furthermore, he gets the honour to display his competition creations at the Harrods department store in London for a world exclusive sale during the Valentine’s Day campaign (starting February 1st). A cheque of 5.000 Euros and 5.000 Euros worth of KitchenAid equipment will also come his way. During the ceremony the coveted ‘My Or Noir’-trophy, handed out by the separate Or Noir jury, was presented to Andrey Kanakin from Russia. He takes home 500 kilos of the signature chocolate he made. The World Chocolate Masters is an inititative of Cacao Barry®, one of the gourmet brands of the Barry Callebaut Group.