Belgian luxury chocolatier Pierre Marcolini marks 20th anniversary with new series
Belgian-based luxury confectionery brand Pierre Marcolini has released an exclusive series of products to mark its 20th anniversary as a bean-to-bar producer, reports Neill Barston.
The Brussels business is releasing 20 new tablets to representing its heritage, featuring 10 pure ‘Grands Crus’ chocolate tablets from various regions around the world.
As the company, which now has a total of more than 40 retail stores, noted, its latest celebratory series also includes 10 ‘new creations’ that include its renowned pralines, nuts and cocoa nibs as key ingredients. The series includes a white chocolate variety with Iranian pistachios, as well as a milk chocolate variety with salted butter caramel and a dark bar in tablet form.
Describing its range, the company explained that it is always searching the Cocoa Belt (20 degrees south and north of the Equator) for the finest cocoa beans: from South America to Asia, passing via Africa. It works in the world of plants and just like wine, cocoa trees grow in numerous varieties. These differ according to their region and country of origin and contribute to the unique aromatic identity of each cocoa bean.
As the business added, the flavour of a cocoa bean depends greatly on the region of the cocoa plantation and might be spiced, flowery or fruity. Grand Cru beans are characterised by their exclusivity, the specific region, their intensity on the palate, and the depth of their aromas. Consequently, the company’s aim is to capture the uniqueness of each bean so that its unrivalled essence can be appreciated in each bar, representing the art of creating chocolate.
The Pierre Marcolini House was established in Brussels in 1995 by Pierre Marcolini, the chocolatier renowned for his exceptional know-how and his engaged approach. Pioneer of the Bean to Bar movement, ambassador of sustainable chocolate, he masters the entire process of making chocolate from the bean.
He is the creative director of Maison Pierre Marcolini, where he has built a reputation not just for his chocolate but for his ethical standards, sourcing premium cocoa directly from independent producers in Cuba, Indonesia, India, Sao Tomé & Principe, Madagascar, Peru, Venezuela and China.
Other rare and exotic ingredients top off the Maison’s illustrious range of beans, including pink peppercorns from Morocco, pistachios from Iran, pepper from Sichuan, vanilla from Tahiti, lemons from Sicily, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, hazelnuts from
Piedmont.
In 2020, the House was named by Belgians as a brand reflecting the spirit of Belgium, according to the study “ Truth about the New Europe ” carried out by the communications agency McCann and Pierre Marcolini has been awarded as Best Pastry Chef in the world ” during the World Pastry Stars international event.
