Chocolate News and Events

Ecole Chocolat Celebrates 10th Anniversary Year
It's been 10 years since Ecole Chocolat, a professional chocolate arts school, first opened its cyber doors and a look back shows both the power and the reach of its online chocolate programs. The list of Ecole Chocolat's graduates includes many high-profile chocolatiers who have received national and international awards and been written up in major magazines and newspapers.

Ecole Chocolat Graduates among the Finalists for Good Food Awards 2013
A number of Ecole Chocolat Graduates were finalists in both the Chocolate and Confection categories of the Good Food Award,. The Good Food Awards celebrate the kind of food we all want to eat: tasty, authentic and responsibly produced. The awards are meant to celebrate outstanding American food producers and the farmers who provide their ingredients.

Holiday Cheer Begins with Fine-Flavor Chocolate
Just in time for this gift-giving season, Pam Williams is giving consumers a reason to seek out fine-flavor chocolate rather than simply relying on mass-produced options. Our new book: Raising The Bar: The Future of Fine Chocolate has consumers dreaming of a chocolate Christmas, but not just any chocolate.

Fine-Flavor Chocolate at Risk, Ecole Chocolat Founder Says in New Book
Consumers who demand the best must become aware that their favorite fine chocolate may well be facing extinction if nothing is done to protect the most luxuriant-tasting strains now growing in remote equatorial forests around the world, says Ecole Chocolat Founder and Author Pam Williams in her new book, Raising the Bar.

Chocolate and Spice and Everything Nice in Ecole Chocolat Grad's Truffle
The year-end holiday season – whether it involves Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or some other treasured family celebration – evokes nostalgia in many of us, says Ecole Chocolat graduate and master chocolatier Elaine Hsieh of EH Chocolatier in Somerville, MA. She offers us a delicious recipe for a special holiday truffle.

Indulge in Favorite Treat of Ghosts and Goblins With Our Find Chocolate! App
“If all the headlines are to be believed, North Americans are in a frightfully good mood when it comes to Halloween spending this year,” says Ecole Chocolat Founder Pam Williams, pointing to recent National Retair Federation and other research findings that show a record number of people plan to celebrate Halloween by buying costumes, decorations and candy – lots of candy.

New Book by Ecole Chocolat Founder Looks at Future of Fine Chocolate
Two years in the making and in honor of the school's 10th anniversary, Ecole Chocolat founder Pam Williams has just announced publication of her new book, “Raising the Bar: The Future of Fine Chocolate.” The book offers a “global journey from cacao gene and cocoa bean to chocolate bar and bonbon,” and looks at the future of the world's finest chocolate as seen through the eyes of people who live chocolate every day and strive to preserve its richest, most complex and endangered forms for future generations, says Williams.

Chocolate-Loving 'Leaf Peepers' Never Far From a Tasty Treat with this app
When “leaf peepers” – those who are expected to crowd the picturesque back roads and byways of New England over the next few months – are struck by chocolate cravings, they're never far from a delicious fix, says Ecole Chocolat founder Pam Williams, who also developed the Find Chocolate! app for mobile devices capable of pinpointing the nearest chocolate shop anywhere in the world.

Ecole Chocolat Grads, Other Professionals, Head for Italy This Fall
This fall's Ecole Chocolat's Masters Program in Italy promises to be inspirational for professional chocolatiers wishing to upgrade their skills and learn the secrets of fine Italian chocolate making, says Program Leader Judy Witts of Diva Cucina cooking school in Florence, Italy. Witts is a long-time resident whose cooking, teaching and writing have made her a renowned expert in Italian food and cooking.

Ecole Chocolat Grad Takes Top Honors with Agave Caramel
Ecole Chocolat grad Emir Kiamilev was thrilled to report that his Amella agave caramels, made with cocoa butter, were chosen as top caramel in recent Chocolate Salon awards. Amella's caramels will be the official caramel for the 2013 Taste Awards – also known as the TASTY Awards, the premier broadcast awards show celebrating and recognizing the year's best achievements in food, fashion, and lifestyle programs on television, in film, online and radio. Amella Caramels is located in El Segundo, Ca.

Get Ready for Great Holiday Gift-Giving
Chocolate aficionados and home chocolate artisans please note: This one's for you, as Ecole Chocolat Professional School of Chocolate Arts offers the Chocolate Technique and Flavor Stream as part of the Professional Chocolatier Program.

It's the Beans! Ecole Chocolat Grads Learn as They Explore Cacao in Ecuador
Ecole Chocolat graduate and Santa Barbara, Ca. chocolatier Maya Schoop-Rutten had her eyes opened when she participated in a recent Ecole Chocolat Master's Program in Ecuador that took participants from Quito through the Andes to Quevedo City, La Mana, Mindo and Kallari regions of the country.

Emergence of Chocolate Industry In India
Chocolates may be items of impulse-purchase, competing with other categories like soft drinks, snacks and beverages for a share of the consumer's wallet, but modern trade and other factors like liberalisation of the economy, growing income of middle class and macro-economic conditions have had a positive impact on consumer spending, says The India Times, which also names Ecole Chocolat as one of several professional chocolate arts schools in the world.

As More Subscribers Sign On, Finding the Best Gianduja in Italy Now Made Easy with Find Chocolate! App
The number of chocolate lovers who are discovering and listing their favorite chocolate shops on the Find Chocolate! app continues to grow, says its creator Pam Williams, who also developed Chocomap.com and is the Founder and Lead Instructor at Ecole Chocolat.

'Beerific' Pairing for Dad's Day: Chocolate and Craft Beer
Bacon, beer and Scotch all sound like they might appeal to Dads in one form or another on Father's Day, but pair them with chocolate and you've got a sure-fire winner, says Ecole Chocolat graduate Gail Ambrosius, whose chocolate shop under the same name has been featured in Martha Stewart Living, Bon Appetit, Food Network Magazine and the Today Show.

Celebrate Flavors of Spring with Strawberry Rhubarb Truffle
Spring means fresher, lighter, more vibrant flavors and in celebration, Ecole Chocolat founder Pam Williams has conjured a delicious sweet that uses two of our favorite spring-time treats: strawberries and rhubarb.

Top North American chocolatiers, all EC grads, prepare for Mom's Day
Chocolate is as much a passion as it is a business, say three Ecole Chocolat graduates who were named among the Top Ten Chocolatiers in North America by Dessert Professionals Magazine. All three are currently busy producing their fabulous artisan chocolate creations for special Mother's Day gifting.

EC Grads check out the chocolate scene in Paris
Fourteen professional chocolatiers, most of them graduates of Ecole Chocolat's Professional Chocolatier Program, arrived in Paris this week to extend and deepen their knowledge and skills with various masters of the chocolate arts through the school's Masters Program in France.

Fine chocolate easy to find with this great app!
It's not that difficult to find a chocolate Easter egg or bunny at this time of year. But finding one made of fine chocolate and crafted with more artisanal rather than industrial methods can be a bit of a challenge, says Pam Williams, creator of Chocomap.com and the Find Chocolate! App.

Abundance of chocolate Easter eggs a toothsome tradition
Eggs are a symbol for new life, the essence of nature's determination that winter will end and spring come forward with its pastel promise of natural abundance. And when the eggs are made of chocolate, you know Easter can't be far behind.

Making these truffles may lead to the altar this leap year
Chocolate, possessed of natural chemicals that unleash positive feelings in those who indulge, is in a class of potent love foods that bring extra meaning to the table this leap year.

You can't go wrong with chocolate on Valentine's
Valentine's is one day that's no sweat for gifting. . . a bottle of fine wine, a beautiful dinner and a box of exquisite chocolates will say all the right things when the intent is to give the best.

Valentine's a busy time for artisan chocolatiers across the country
Today's chocolate connoiseurs look to the quality, creativity and passion artisan chocolatiers such as Diane Pinder and Beth Tulley, both Ecole Chocolat graduates, bring to the table.

Ecole Chocolat Graduates Selected Top Ten Chocolatiers
Three Ecole Chocolat graduates are selected as Dessert Professional Magazine's Top Ten Chocolatiers in North America: Bill Copeland, Jacqueline Jacek, and Kate Shaffer.

Here's a Sweet Resolution for 2012
Getting more education or a better job are among the top 10 New Year's resolutions for many people. And those who are looking to launch themselves into a new career or business could do worse than to consider chocolate as an option.

Top Chocolatiers and Artisan Chocolate Makers Struggling to Keep Up with Demand on the Busiest Week of the Year
Artisans at the top tier of the chocolate industry get a double whammy between escalating sales and production limitations.

Chocomap is Ready for the Holidays
See our FREE Holiday e-cards in bright holiday colors and celebrate this festive time by connecting with someone special!
November 13, 2011

I'm in the Mood for Chocolate, Find Me a Chocolate Shop Now!
Locate a chocolate shop quickly and easily with the new, free Find Chocolate! Mobile App for Android phones and tablets, iPhones and iPads..
November 10, 2011

Master Chocolatier Program in France
A special program of hands-on training at Valrhona's Ecole du Grand Chocolat in Tain l'Hermitage, France.
September 26, 2011

Master Chocolatier Program in Belgium
Combines hands-on training at the original Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Wieze, Belgium with guided visits to important chocolatiers' boutiques in Brussels.
September 26, 2011

Master Chocolate Program in Costa Rica
The program will take you to the historical roots of cacao growing during harvest for a much better understanding of cacao cultivation and processing
September 26, 2011

Ecole Chocolat Fall Program Update
Registration for our Fall sessions are in full swing and our Programs are starting to fill.
July 19, 2011

Take Chocomap on Vacation with You
Great choices from which to find that perfect chocolate for a special chocoholic and to explore on your summer vacation.
June 13, 2011

Master Chocolatier Program in Switzerland
Combines an intensive hands-on program at Felchlin's Condirama training centre and factory tour with visits to important chocolatiers in Switzerland.
April 25, 2011

Master Chocolatier Program in Italy
Program includes intensive hands-on training at the ICAM Choco Scuola with travel to Turin to visit important Italian chocolatiers in their cioccolateria and laboratories.
April 25, 2011

The Easter Bunny comes to Chocomap.com
Check out the Top Chocolatier page where you can sing the praises of the Easter treats from your favorite chocolatier!!
April 12, 2011

Ecole Chocolat Spring Program Update
Our Spring Professional Chocolatier Program and Chocolate Making from the Bean Program registration is open.
March 10, 2011

Please Your Sweetheart this Valentine's Day
We now have over 1800 chocolate shops from around the World ON THE MAP! You have lots of shops from which to find that perfect chocolate for a special Valentine!
February 6, 2011

In honor of our 10th Anniversary, Ecole Chocolat is very excited to announce our new book: