Barry Callebaut C.E.O. Patrick De Maeseneire (left) and Massimo Garavaglia, president, cut the ceremonial ribbon for the company’s new Chocolate Academy.

Barry Callebaut held a grand opening event for its new Chocolate Academy last month in Chicago. The new training facility is the first in the United States, but the twelfth globally for the Zurich-based company. With Chicago its North American headquarters, Barry Callebaut C.E.O. Patrick De Maeseneire and a team of the company's technical advisors led guests through a tour of the facility, and master chocolatiers demonstrated the latest trends in chocolate.

Courses at the academy begin this month and are designed to offer professional pastry chefs, confectioners, bakers and caterers tips and techniques for using fine chocolate in their businesses.