Barry Callebaut opens Chocolate Academy Center in New York City

• Official inauguration of the Chocolate Academy Center New York, the best platform for chefs and artisans to develop and showcase their talent and skills

• The Chocolate Academy Center NYC is located in the heart of New York City, one of the world’s most influential cultural centers and a destination for elevated confection training

The Barry Callebaut Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, is proud to launch its second Chocolate Academy Center in the United States, located in the heart of New York City. This new facility serves as a creative space where chefs and artisans can develop their talent and skills. The Chocolate Academy Center NYC is part of the wider Chocolate Academy Center network, which now has 27 academies across the globe.

The new Chocolate Academy Center will be located in the Meatpacking District, a neighborhood like no other: a fusion of grit and glam where old New York meets the frenetic 21st Century. The city is known for attracting top talent from around the world in various industries, including confectionery, pastry, and chocolate, making it the ideal spot for a new location.

In October 2022, the Chocolate Academy Center announced the appointment of Nicoll Notter as Head Chef. Chef Notter is the son of two pastry chefs. At age 21, Nicoll won Pastry Chef of the Year for the United States, being the youngest person to win the competition. In 2020 as captain of the Swiss National Team, Nicoll and the team won 1st place in the Coupe d’Europe held in Paris. With Nicoll’s current role as head chef, he is excited to help other professionals grow and wants to see the pastry scene continue to revolutionize.

"New York City has a long history with the chocolate industry, dating back to the early 1900s. We are seeing a resurgence of chocolate culture in New York with the craft-chocolate movement and small bean-to-bar factories. We are proud to share chocolate culture and empower chefs to craft at their best; we partner with our customers to create the chocolate treats of tomorrow," Amy Heitkamp, vice president and general manager, Barry Callebaut.

"New York City continues to be a core place of growth and culture for the Americas. We look forward to serving as the premier chocolate and cocoa innovation place in a city with a long-standing food culture. In Region Americas, we currently have five Chocolate Academy Centers which hosted over 13,800 participants in 2022. We are thrilled to open our sixth location in a city with such deep ties to chocolate indulgence and cannot wait to get chocolate professionals in the door to learning from our best-in-class instructors and chefs," Steve Woolley, president and chief executive officer, Barry Callebaut.