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Finest Belgian Chocolate Brand, Callebaut® announces the second edition of their Pan-India competition – Callebaut® Patissier of the Year
MUMBAI: Extending its legacy in India, the finest Belgian chocolate brand Callebaut® has announced its search for India’s Callebaut® Patissier of the Year (CPY). CPY 2019 will start with a nationwide hunt for India’s best gourmet pastry chef via a boot camp series across Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, in April 2019, followed by a grand finale in May 2019, in Mumbai.
Having celebrated talent such as Chef Alisha Faleiro at CPY’s first edition in 2017, the 2019 edition will push the creative quest for the ‘Future of Chocolate’, beyond all known boundaries thus far. This year’s theme will challenge contestants to create new flavour sensations and design new forms of desserts, pastries and confectionery, keeping in mind futuristic tastes, textures, innovation in application and presentation.
“Callebaut® Patissier of the year is a platform we’ve created to showcase the best pastry talents in India, making it a coveted title to win for the professional chefs to become national champions. After the successful first edition in 2017, we’re back with this year’s competition with much more interesting theme, raising the bar to exemplify professionalism and creativity. The erstwhile edition was solely dedicated to the art of chocolate celebrating Indian heritage, this year the theme of the competition is “future of chocolate”, in a world of constant change and technology being pivotal to these dynamics the realm of virtual world is merging with the real world. We expect to see chefs bring in their interpretations of this into creativity that will take chocolate to the next level!”, says Deepa Dsouza, Director – Gourmet Sales, Barry Callebaut India & Sub-continents.
The selection process requires interested chefs who have minimum three years of experience in a reputed Academy, Bakery Chain or Hotel to submit their applications with a portfolio of images of creations and/or sketches outlining their previous work experience on cpy_2019@barry-callebaut.com by March end. Thirty entries will be selected by a top end jury of celebrated chefs such as Chef Seung Yun Lee (Head – Chocolate Academy, Singapore), Chef Sarah Todd (Masterchef Australia Contestant Season 6), Chef Vinesh Johny (Co-founder and Executive Pastry Chef of Lavonne Academy of Baking Science & Pastry Arts, India), Chef Avijit Ghosh (Corporate Pastry Chef, Hotel LeelaVenture Ltd.) and Chef Minette (Head of Chocolate Academy – South Africa).
Following the portfolio review, a chosen few will move on to compete in ‘chocolate task’ boot camps across Mumbai (at the Callebaut Chocolate Academy), Delhi (at Academy of Pastry Arts, India) and Bangalore (at Lavonne Academy) on April 5th, 7th and 14th respectively.
Two out of ten participants from each city will be selected for the finale on May 3rd and 4th in Mumbai, where each chef will be put through rigorous tasks to create Cake of the day-Entremets, Moulded praline/Bonbons, Chocolate bars, a Chocolate display and a final mystery challenge, all themed across expressing what they feel will be the ‘Future of Chocolate’ in India.
Three promising chefs will be crowned the CPY 2019 winners and will stand to win all expense paid educational trips to learn from world renowned experts at Chocolate Academy™ center Wieze Chocolate Academy™ center Singapore and a master class with an international chef at the Chocolate Academy™ center Mumbai respectively.
CPY 2019 will give Indian patissiers the perfect opportunity to glean techniques from some of the best chocolatiers and pastry chefs in the world. It is all about diving deeper into the world of chocolate and developing an increased capacity to enjoy the finest chocolates available. Chocolate Academy™ centers are venues for the exchange of technical skills, dialogue and the sharing of love for all aspects related to chocolate. Whether you’re a pastry chef, professional cook or simply a chocoholic, really, who couldn’t use this kind of training?
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Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
