Thanks to the collaboration with Barry Callebaut, Cantabrian Toscana will host five of the best world-famous pastry chefs from Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland e Belgium, who together with Costa's Corporate Pastry & Bakery Chef cruises, Riccardo Bellaera, will be the protagonists of an extraordinary cruise in the Mediterranean dedicated to chocolate in all its forms. There will also be 10 journalists from the association on board.Italian Travel Press” including our director Anne Bruno.
Cantabrian cruises e Barry Callebaut, world leader in the production of high quality chocolate and cocoa, renew their partnership in the name of excellence on the occasion of the "ChocoCruise – Explore the world of chocolate”: an entire cruise dedicated to chocolate, designed to give pastry lovers a week of sweetness and relaxation on board Costa's flagship cruises, Cantabrian Toscana.
From 17 to 24 November 2023, the ChocoCruise will take its guests among the magnificent landscapes of Mediterranean, in an itinerary full of flavour, with stops at GenoVa, Marseille, Barcelona, Cagliari, Napoli and Civitavecchia/Roma.
During this themed cruise, five of the greatest pastry chefs in the world, coming from Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland e Belgium, members of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy and Barry Callebaut Ambassadors, together with Riccardo Bellaera, Corporate Pastry & Bakery Chef of Costa, will propose a real journey within a journey, to discover the refined art of pastry-making linked to chocolate. The five master pastry chefs who will be on board the 2023 ChocoCruise are Alberto Simionato (Italia) Joel Perriard (Switzerland), Philippe Bertrand (France), Ramon Morato (Spain) to Alexandre Bourdeaux (Belgium).
The program includes a rich proposal of experiences, all of which will have chocolate as the protagonist. Guests will be able to experiment with chocolate-based dishes from breakfast to dinner, including savory dishes, enjoying this food in all its variations and combinations, depending on the destination visited by the ship.
During the week, meetings and show cooking will take place with the master pastry chefs and Riccardo Bellaera, who will tell the public their professional stories and their secrets in the kitchen, illustrating the preparation of a chocolate-based dish of the day.
Every day guests will be able to follow workshops related to chocolate culture in the Lab, the ship's cooking laboratory, accompanied by tastings of the signature desserts of the master pastry chefs.
Chocolate will also be the protagonist in beverages. Thanks to the partnership with Bacardi, two Italian master barmen, Europe Cruise Brand Ambassadors of the brand, will offer special and unique cocktails, using chocolate among the ingredients.
The chocolate-themed events will further enrich Costa's gastronomic offer Toscana: throughout the entire itinerary to discover Italy, France e Spain, guests will be able to enjoy a "Destination Dish", i.e. a dish linked to the destination they will visit the following day, signed by one of the three world-famous international chefs, partners of Costa: Bruno Barbieri, Ángel León and Hélène Darroze. Furthermore, for those who want a unique experience, the Archipelago restaurant allows you to choose between three menus, one for each of the three chefs, made up of 5 refined dishes, designed to explore the part of the sea you are sailing through food. Finally, do not miss the creative Asian cuisine of Teppanyaki, Sushino and Pummid'Oro on board, for a 100% Made in Italy pizza.
Taste lovers can book their cabin on the 2023 ChocoCruise, departing on Costa Toscana on November 17, at travel agencies or directly with Costa, calling the toll-free number 800.588.589 or on www.costacrociere.it.
The master pastry chefs on board
Riccardo Bellaera: Sicilian from Modica, he joined Costa as Corporate Pastry & Bakery Chef in 2012. Since then he has created a unique pastry experience for all Costa ships, extending the passenger journey through their dishes. His desserts are characterized by creativity and a delicate balance between crunchiness, sweetness and acidity. Bellaera was twice winner of the “Luxury Pastry in the world” award, and received the “World Pastry Stars” award. For two consecutive years, in 2022 and 2023, Bellaera won the "Different visions and great ideas" award at Sigep in Rimini, the International Ice Cream, Pastry and Bakery Exhibition. Since 2022 he has become a member of the APEI, as Pastry Chef Ambassador of Italian Excellence. Also in 2023 he was named among the best pastry chefs in the world, Ambassador of Italian catering desserts on Costa cruises. He is a collaborator and friend of the master of masters of international pastry making, Iginio Massari.
Alberto Simionato: he approached the world of desserts from a very young age, starting in a bakery and ice cream shop. But it is thanks to prestigious professional and training experiences (at the Etoile institute) that he became passionate about high-level pastry making. The specialization in chocolate came later, thanks to the meeting with Beduschi and Laghi, and was crowned by the collaboration with Morató, which led him to land directly in Barry Callebaut, where since 2019 he has directed the Chocolate AcademyTM of Milano.
Philippe Bertrand: a tireless creativity that materializes in the countless creations that can be viewed on social media. His love of challenge and perfection and his ability to surprise inspire over half a million viewers every day. A Barry Callebaut professional of international reference for over 30 years, he is director of the French Chocolate Academy and ambassador of the Barry Callebaut brands. Philippe Bertrand leads his team with passion and energy, to overcome new challenges together. Always ready to share and help, Philippe has an innate passion for pastry making and a unique ability to motivate people and help them achieve their goals. It is therefore not surprising that Philippe is behind the rise of many important colleagues. In everyday life, Philippe is involved in managing the French Chocolate Academy, but without ever losing sight of his communication channels with the international community, with which he shares passion and techniques, emerging as a true influencer in the world of pastry making. An attentive observer of the world around him, Philippe is always ready to be inspired by new trends. For Philippe, success is the ability to give your colleagues that extra "something" capable of improving their daily work and fueling their passion.
Ramon Morato: born in Manlleu, Barcelona, in a family without any connection with pastry making, was catapulted into this world at the end of his studies, when he began working in various laboratories and integrating his studies with various courses offered at the pastry chef school in Barcelona. After a series of internships at the most prestigious pastry laboratories in Barcelona, attends famous schools and technical training centers, such as ZDS Solingen in Germany and the Richard Conseil School of Lyon, France. To crown his career and his studies and always fueled by a renewed passion, he published “Ramon Morató Chocolate”, which in 2007 was awarded the title of best cookbook in the world dedicated to chocolate by the Gourmand World Cookbook Award. The book became a reference manual for the sector and is today one of the best sellers. In December 2016, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Chocolate AcademyTM centre Barcelona, the publication “Four in One” is released, written together with Chefs Raul Bernal, Josep Maria Ribé and Miquel Guarro. In July 2021, he releases FILES: A Collection of the Best recipes and projects from the last 5 years, plus others recipes specially created unpublished works, which he signed as creative director of Cacao Barry. His in-depth knowledge of the sector comes from numerous meetings with various professionals. From here his passion for teaching, research and the development of new products developed. In recent years he has held numerous courses, seminars and conferences all over the world, signing important collaborations such as the one with Harvard University, through the Alicia Foundation. As Creative Director of Cacao Barry, Ramon continues to make his contributions to the world of chocolate.
Joel Perriard: he joined Chocolate Academy in 2012 as a consultant, becoming Director after just three years. He completed his training as a pastry chef in Wodey-Suchard's atelier in Neuchâtel and subsequently worked as a pastry chef in various restaurants. In 2010 he and his wife ran the Hacienda San Agustin de Callo, a boutique hotel in Ecuador. Shortly before joining the Barry Callebaut team, Joël worked at the Mesa a restaurant Zurich (two Michelin stars). He won the Young Swiss Confiseur awards in Montreux and took fourth place at the Swiss Championships for young pastry chefs in Lucerne.
Alexandre Bourdeaux: “Live your dreams and work hard to achieve them.” Alexandre understood from an early age that baking and traveling were his passion. His career began in a 1 Michelin star restaurant in Belgium, where he learned the recipes classics, which are still the basis of pastry making today. Subsequently, Alexandre traveled the world working in prestigious 5 star hotels. Upon his return to Belgium, at Callebaut headquarters, was able to deepen and share his passion and knowledge by becoming director of the Chocolate Academy™. He was responsible for the opening of the new Callebaut Chocolate Academy™ in 2014, marking a historic moment in the history of the brand. Today Alexandre, despite having launched his company “Pastry & Chocadvice” in 2016, continues to collaborate with Callebaut, to give advice, help and solutions in the world of pastry and chocolate. In March 2018 it launched an online software “ganache solution”, which supports chefs in monitoring the balance of their recipes. He participated in the Italian television program “Best Bakery” as a judge, together with Paco Torreblanca.
Posted in cruises
Comment first