Thierry Dumouchel not only runs his own awarding winning Patisserie, Boulangerie, Chocolatier in Garforth, Leeds, but is also one of only a few Ambassadors for Cointreau and Barry Callebaut.

Recently Thierry return from a unique seminar, attended by ambassadors from around the world. The chocolatiers arrived in Ilhéus, Bahia in Brazil on 23rd May for the biennial event held outside Europe for the first time. The 120 chefs attended lectures and visited plantations including the Barry Callebaut cocoa factory in Ilhéus. Here they witnessed first hand the process from growing the cocoa beans up to the semi-finished products in the local factory.  Barry Callebaut believe that in order to meet future demand for chocolate, they must contribute to ensuring that cocoa is grown in a sustainable way that generates income for farmers and safeguards the environment.

The seminar is an initiative of Barry Callebaut’s Ambassadors Club which units the most renowned chef chocolatiers in the world. Chefs become ambassadors by invitation only. The mission of the club is to transfer its chocolate know-how and techniques to other craftsmen all over the world in order to support the development of new products, concepts, recipes and training events meeting professional expectations.