Cacao Barry and The Chocolate Academy of Chicago are making the final preparations for the third edition of L’Art du Chocolatier, this May 17^th and 18^th. Five finalists, previously selected and coming from all over the US, are to make a showpiece, a sugar confection, a chocolate tablet and a dessert in a glass concept during the two days of the competition.

The winner will become the Chocolatier of the Year 2013, besides pocketing up to $12,000 in cash and prizes.

After an exhaustive selection, the short-listed candidates are as follows:

• Romain Fournel, Assistant Pastry Chef, Jean-Philippe Pâtisserie, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Kei Hasegawa, Pastry Chef, Matsuhisa Restaurant, Beverly Hills, California
• Jérôme Jacob, Assistant Pastry Chef, Bellagio Resort Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Santosh Tiptur, Executive Pastry Chef, Co Co. Sala Restaurant and Chocolate Boutique, Washington, D.C.
• Sean Pera, Pastry Cook, The Umstead Hotel & Spa, Cary, N.C.

The organization has also announced the make-up of the jury, which will be presided by the Canadian chocolatier Christophe Morel. The complete composition of the jury is as follows:

• John Kraus, Proprietor and Chef, Patisserie 46, Minneapolis, MN
• Jerome Landrieu, Cacao Barry Technical Advisor & Director of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy™ Center Chicago, Illinois
• Frédéric Moreau, Cacao Barry Ambassador & Executive Pastry Chef, The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA
• Christophe Morel, Master Chocolatier, “Christophe Morel”, and Cacao Barry Ambassador, Canada
• Josep Maria Ribé, Technical Advisor, Chocolate Academy™ Center, Gurb, Spain.

All those chefs who wish to witness the competition are requested to confirm their attendance at the following email address: CacaoBarryLADC@barry-callebaut.com