Chocolate maker opens academy in China
The world's largest chocolate maker, Switzerland's Barry Callebaut, has opened a chocolate academy and factory near Shanghai in China.
The chocolate academy is the eighth of its kind created by the group. Two French pastry chefs will work to promote some of the group’s brands and offer training for chocolate makers.
The factory and academy represent a combined investment of SFr22.3 million ($20 million). Situated in Suzhou, the new factory will have an annual capacity of 25,000 tonnes of chocolate and cocoa products and other materials for the confectionary industry.
The Swiss firm plans to increase sales in the region sixfold in the next four years.
“The demand for chocolate in China, which is growing at incredible speed, will be dynamised even more by the Olympic Games in 2008 and the World Expo in 2010,” Maurizio Decio of Barry Callebaut said in a statement.
Barry Callebaut has had a presence in the region since 1997 with a factory in Singapore. The group increased chocolate sales there by 20 per cent from 2006 to 2007.
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