WCM - Bootcamp
World’s new league of influential pastry chefs gathered in Berlin to prepare for the world final
17 Apr, Berlin. What will the world be like in 10 to 20 years from now? And what will our chocolate delights look, taste and be like?
21 finalists of the World Chocolate Masters travelled to Berlin to dive deep into the future of pastry and chocolaterie. For 3 days, they immersed themselves in a series of forward-thinking sessions on design, artistry, craft and taste. For the first time, the culinary competition organised a bootcamp to tear down the walls between different nations & cultures and offer its finalists the unique opportunity to collaborate, exchange and gain new insights.
From Tokyo to Mexico city: 21 pastry chefs to watch
21 they are: the up-and-coming league of pastry chefs who will influence how the world will look at chocolate desserts and patisserie in the future. After a successful first year of preparation for the national selections of the World Chocolate Masters, they each have been selected as a finalist to represent their country at the World Chocolate Masters final later this year. To propel their creative thinking, and to stimulate their brain waves around this edition’s theme of Futropolis, the World Chocolate Masters invited them to take part in the competition’s first ever boot camp – organised in Berlin. Simply because the city is one of Europe’s creative hubs uniting a legacy from the ‘old world’ with daring, forward-thinking ideas about the future, new tech startups and a vivid art & science scene.
“There's a revolution going on in the world of chocolate and pastry.
Futropolis helps chefs to get a better understanding of what is to come
and how to take steps towards the future.”
Florent Cheveau, World Chocolate Masters finalist for USA
3 days filled to the brim with ideation sessions about the future of chocolate patisserie
“By 2030 most innovations will originate in Asia.” “By then, the world’s biggest cities will count 37 million inhabitants. The top 10 of biggest cities won’t be Paris or London, yet be situated in Asia and Africa.” “And food prices will double.” “How will we organise energy, food supply and distribution for 37 million people?” “How will we deal with food waste?” “How will we combine health and indulgence into our desserts and sweet snacks?” “Will cocoa trees grow in cities?”
These were just a few of the many thematic challenges that were launched during the World Chocolate Masters Berlin bootcamp. A bootcamp that definitely challenged the status quo and asked all finalists to think about the new world we’re shaping today.
“Find your own path. In anything you do,
make sure the jury discovers who you are.”
Yann Couvreur (patissier – Paris)
From mental unboxing sessions to experimental pairing
The main objective of the Berlin bootcamp was of course to offer all finalists the opportunity to gain new insights and challenge their thinking. Hence why it was organised around themes like DESIGN / TASTE / ENERGY & FOCUS. Apart from ideations sessions focusing on the future, the personal journey of each finalist was at the heart of this bootcamp too. Networking, exploring different cultures, visions & finding ways to create a bigger mental focus to unbox one’s creativity were key during the bootcamp. During an energising hands-on box training, Brahim Asloum – France’s former world champ boxing – lead the finalists into boosting their energy and focus, while keeping a sharp eye on the world around them.
Canadian wine experts and scientist François Chartier guided the finalists through the world of molecular analysis of ingredients and taste. His ideas and vision were brought into practice when contestants were challenged to work around new flavour combinations with chocolate. In a hands-on flavour pairing exercise, they explored ingredients from cuisines around the world to match them with Cacao Barry’s chocolate couvertures and create new flavour sensations. The idea here too was to broaden their views and push the classic boundaries between savoury and sweet.
“The biggest change since participating in the World Chocolate Masters is actually caused by the competition theme itself. As a chef, I now think more about applying recycling concepts on packaging, waste reduction, ...
I am really working towards Futropolis!”
Chris Kwok, World Chocolate Masters finalist for Canada
The 2018 final will be like no other
The World Chocolate Masters has always embraced innovation and therefore transformed its competition format to offer contestants the opportunity to set new standards. With the upcoming final, the format will be completely new again – offering new assignments, a new setting and new impulses. Because now, more than ever, all artisans are faced with new challenges to stay relevant, be truly innovative and differentiate themselves.
About the World Chocolate Masters
A competition for chefs, curated by the world’s leading pastry chefs and chocolatiers
The World Chocolate Masters is a competition for chefs, curated by chefs. The jury consists of leading experts in the patisserie and chocolate industry from all participating countries. The 2018 World Final jury will be presided by former World Chocolate Master Frank Haasnoot (NL) who has built an international career and spent many years in Asia’s top gastronomy landmarks after winning the competition in 2011. “I am really looking forward to the boasting levels of creativity that mark this competition. The industry has changed so much over the last 5 years. And it doesn’t stop evolving. It will be extremely exciting to witness the energy of a new league of top professionals coming from all over the world.”, Haasnoot explains.
Pushing the boundaries in chocolate creativity
“The World Chocolate Masters has always been the platform where new talents showcase how they push the boundaries of chocolate. What chefs created there was often a preview of a new trend that was found months and years later in the high streets. Now we’re stepping up the game. We’re really looking forward to seeing a new take on chocolate by young, millennial chefs and their ideas of flavour creation, even combining it with savoury elements, plants, locally grown ingredients, etc.”, Joost Lindeman – Global Brand Leader for Cacao Barry - explains.
About the final
The 2018 WORLD FINAL of the World Chocolate Masters will take place in:
SALON DU CHOCOLAT – PARIS – Porte de Versaille – Hall 4
31 OCT – 2 NOV 2018
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