In early May, Valrhona, the chocolate specialists, opened a new branch of their school in Paris’s Marais neighborhood.

After New York, Tokyo and Tain l’Hermitage (in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alps region), Valrhona, the chocolate specialists, opened a school in Paris’s Marais neighborhood.

“A lab, preparation room, space to brainstorm about chocolate and a meeting room: everything has been thought out to welcome and train professionals in top-notch conditions,” is what the prestigious establishment’s Twitter page says.

The school, which was first founded in 1989, is meant for food-service professionals, and offers training programs ranging from introductory to advanced levels in chocolate, pastry, bread, ice cream, desserts for restaurants and more.

Nearly 30 workshops will be offered over the course of the year, led by exceptional teaching chefs from Ecole Valrhona or renowned pastry chefs and other exceptional craftspeople, like Pierre Hermé – winner of the World’s Best Pastry Chef title at the 2016 “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards ceremony – and Florence Lesage – vice-world champion in pastry and confectionery, silver medal at the finals in the 2015 Worldskills competition and pastry chef at the Westin Paris-Vendôme Hotel.

The school spreads over 340 m² (3,660 sq. ft) on two floors, including a large lab for exploring French and international sweet gastronomy.

Valrhona has chosen Pastry Chef Claire Heitzler to lead this new branch of their school. An iconic figure of French gastronomy who is deeply committed to responsible, sustainable pastry, she has trained and worked with some of the greatest pastry chefs in the world: in France, at Ladurée; in Japan, as head pastry chef at Alain Ducasse’s restaurant Beige, and at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Dubai.

For nearly a century, Valrhona has been committed to sharing its savoir-faire with the profession. With this new campus, Valrhona is diversifying their training program and making their expertise available to all haute-cuisine professionals.