From November 17-24, 2023, the ChocoCruise will take guests on a gastronomical itinerary through the beautiful landscapes of the Mediterranean, with calls at Marseille, France; Barcelona, Spain; and Genoa, Cagliari, Naples and Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy.
During this themed cruise, five of the world’s greatest master pastry chefs from Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland and Belgium — all members of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy and ambassadors of Barry Callebaut — along with Riccardo Bellaera, Costa’s corporate pastry chef and baker, will take guests on a journey to discover the refined art of working with chocolate and chocolate-related pastry. The five pastry masters who will host ChocoCruise 2023 are Alberto Simionato (Italy), Joël Perriard (Switzerland), Philippe Bertrand (France), Ramon Morató (Spain) and Alexandre Bourdeaux (Belgium).
The program offers rich experiences centered around chocolate. Guests will have the opportunity to indulge in a wide range of chocolate dishes from breakfast to dinner, including both sweet and savory options, tasting chocolate in all its variations and highlighting the destinations visited by Costa Toscana.
During the cruise, guests can attend meetings and cooking demonstrations held by the master pastry chefs and Riccardo Bellaera, who will tell their professional stories and share secrets from the kitchen, all while showing the preparation of the chocolate dish of the day.
The culinary journey continues daily, with guests having the opportunity to attend workshops related to chocolate culture in the Lab, the ship's galley laboratory, accompanied by tastings of the pastry masters’ signature dishes.
Costa’s partnership with Bacardi fuels the chocolate-themed beverage offerings on board. Bacardi, in collaboration with two Italian master bartenders who are European cruise brand ambassadors of the brand, will present unique and exclusive cocktails that feature chocolate as a key ingredient.
The chocolate-themed events will further enrich the gastronomic offerings on board. Throughout the itinerary exploring Italy, France and Spain, guests will have the chance to enjoy "Destination Dishes," dishes inspired by the destination they will visit the following day, created by one of Costa’s three world-renowned international chef partners: Bruno Barbieri, Ángel León and Hélène Darroze.
The Archipelago restaurant gives guests a truly unique culinary experience with three full menus to choose from, created exclusively for Costa by Barbieri, León and Darroze. The menus offer five exquisite dishes created to explore each part of the ship’s itinerary through its cuisine. Additionally, aboard the Costa Toscana guests can indulge in delicious Asian cuisine at Teppanyaki and Sushino, or savor authentic Italian pizza at Pizzeria Pummid'Oro.
Chocolate and dessert lovers can book their cabin on the ChocoCruise 2023, departing on Costa Toscana through a travel agent or directly with Costa.
Master pastry chefs on board:
Riccardo Bellaera (Italy) joined Costa as corporate pastry and bakery chef in 2012. Since then, he has created a unique pastry experience for all Costa ships. Ballaera is a two-time winner of the "Luxury Pastry in the World" award and a recipient of the "World Pastry Stars" award. In 2022 and 2023, Riccardo won the "Different Visions Great Ideas" award at Sigep in Rimini, Italy; the International Exhibition of Ice Cream, Pastry and Bakery. He is a collaborator and friend of the renowned master of international pastry chef masters, Master Iginio Massari.
Alberto Simionato (Italy) studied at the prestigious Etoile Institute and has worked alongside three distinguished chocolate chefs: Beduschi, Oaghi and Morato. Since 2019, Simionato has been the director of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Milan, Italy.
Philippe Bertrand (France) has been with Barry Callebaut for over 30 years and is its Cacao Barry Chef and Director of the Chocolate Academy in Paris, France. He is also a winner of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, a competition for craftsmen held in France every four years. Bertrand continues to share his passion and techniques for chocolate all over the world.
Ramon Morató (Spain) is the creative director for the Cacao Barry brand and continues to shape the world of chocolate. He has published several cookbooks, including “Ramon Morató Chocolate,” which won the Best Cookbook in the World on the subject of Chocolate in 2007 at the distinguished Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
Joël Perriard (Switzerland) joined the Chocolate Academy™ Center in 2012 as an adviser and three years later was promoted to the Head of the Chocolate Academy™ Center. He won the Young Swiss Confiseur award in Montreux and placed fourth at the Swiss Championship for Young Confectioners in Lucerne.
Alexandre Bourdeaux (Belgium) began his career at a one star Michelin restaurant in Belgium where he learned classic recipes he still makes today, progressing to prestigious 5-star hotels. Bourdeaux is head of the Chocolate Academy™ in Belgium. He was a judge on the Italian television show “Best Bakery.”
No comments:
Post a Comment