Fifteen Finalists Gather in Antwerp for the World Chocolate Masters Grand Final
Fifteen elite international chocolatiers are gathering in Antwerp this week for the World Chocolate Masters grand final, running Monday, October 26, and Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Established by Callebaut in 2005, the biennial competition functions as a global incubator for confectionery trends. It pushes professional pastry chefs and confectioners to redefine the boundaries of taste and material engineering. Among this year’s finalists is Vincent Denis from Charleroi, who secured his spot to represent the Benelux region after weathering years of elimination rounds.
Amaury Guichon Takes the Presidential Chair for the 2026 Competition
The high-stakes competition features a prominent industry figure at the helm: pastry chef Amaury Guichon serves as the official jury president. Recognized globally through his Netflix programming and social media presence, Guichon commands an audience of 19 million followers on Instagram, where his large-scale structural displays broadcast weekly to a massive digital fanbase.
Operating from his base in the United States, Guichon balances running his professional academy with continuous laboratory research. “All my time, I spend it at work, in the labs, I spend it developing products.” Despite his packed operational schedule, the chef committed to overseeing the Antwerp event.
Enforcing Rigorous Standards Across Four Technical Trials
As jury president, Guichon’s responsibilities center on consistency and rule enforcement rather than direct scoring. He must ensure that national delegations of judges evaluate competitors with strict impartiality and adherence to official regulations. The role grants him authority to issue penalty points for regulatory infractions and arbitrate any scoring discrepancies.
“I have to make sure that all the jurors from each nation respect the rules and judge with professionalism,” Guichon explained to x.com. I can apply penalty points if the rules are not followed to the letter.”
The Demanding Precision Behind High-End Confectionery
True professional chocolate work requires far more than artistic showpieces or surface-level decoration. Guichon emphasized that the craft demands exacting chemical and physical precision, particularly when producing shelf-stable molded bonbons, snack bars, and fine confections without relying on constant refrigeration.
Barry Callebaut finances the extensive logistical framework required to host the international event. With the fifteen finalists sequestered for the final trials in Antwerp, the results of their multi-year development cycles remain strictly professional-facing, with winning creations and competition outcomes published exclusively online following the event’s conclusion.
