World Chocolate Masters announces international jury for 2026 Grand Final

The World Chocolate Masters, the world’s most prestigious culinary competition dedicated to the art of chocolate, has unveiled the international jury for its 2026 Grand Final. Taking place this October, the competition will see 15 of the world’s most talented chocolatiers go head-to-head in a creative chocolate showdown. The jury is comprised of top chefs and artisans, each a master in their own right, and perfectly placed to judge the chocolate creations that will be presented at the competition, under the leadership of Head of Jury Amaury Guichon.

The World Final competition, held every three years and organized by the renowned chocolate producer Callebaut, is a platform for innovation and a celebration of the finest chocolate craftsmanship.

For the 2026 edition, the theme is “Play & Taste,” inviting the 15 finalists to push the boundaries of techniques and explore taste to create a new future for chocolate. What is created at the World Chocolate Masters finds its way to the high streets in the years to come.

Heads of jury

The jury will be presided by pastry chef and chocolatier Amaury Guichon (USA) as Head of Jury. He is joined by Spanish pastry chef Jordi Roca, who will serve as Head of Sensory Evaluation and pastry chef and television personality Kirsten Tibballs (Australia) who will be Head of Technical Evaluation.

The panel of national judges, each representing a participating region, is a testament to the global character of the competition. They include:

• Aleksandra Sowa – Poland
• Markus Bohr – United Kingdom
• Frida Bäcke – Sweden
• Franz Ziegler – Switzerland
• Saiko Izawa – Brazil
• Julius Persoone – Belgium
• Ricard Martinez – Spain
• Jacky Lung – China
• Nicolas Nikolakopoulos – Greece
• Eunji Lee – United States
• Silvia Federica Boldetti – Italy
• Narae Kim – South Korea
• Jeroen Van Helvoirt – Canada
• Andrey Dubovik – Belarus
• Ivan Chevalier – France
• Lawrence Bobo – Malaysia

"This jury exemplifies the very best that the chocolate world has to offer," says Martin Diez, Sr. Director of the Callebaut Global Chocolate Academy. "These are not just experts; they are innovators who are shaping the future of chocolate. Their collective knowledge, combined with their individual specialties, will provide the finalists with invaluable feedback."

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About World Chocolate Masters

The World Chocolate Masters is the world’s only competition dedicated to the creative talent of artisans and chefs with chocolate. Since its first edition in 2005, the competition has grown into an inspiring platform where you’ll see trends in chocolate first – fueled by changing consumer needs and shaped by the creative skills of talents from around the world. What is created at the World Chocolate Masters finds its way to the high streets in the years to come.

Unique for the competition format is its focus on the individual performance of each of the participating chefs in their 2-year journey from national selection to world final. Throughout its history, the competition has offered unseen networking opportunities to all chefs who participated. In the words of Masters such as Vincent Vallée and Elias Läderach: ‘It’s a journey that fuels us, makes us more complete as chefs and helps us to push our own limits. And even if we are competitors, the exchange we have with chefs from other parts in the world is invaluable.’

The World Chocolate Masters is also a springboard for the international careers of participating chefs. Creative talents such as Naomi Mizuno (JP), Shigeo Hirai (JP) Frank Haasnoot (NL), Davide Comaschi (IT), Vincent Vallée (FR), Elias Läderach (CH) and Lluc Crusellas (ES) saw their career opportunities and recognition literally explode overnight after winning the world finals.