Lluc Crusellas crowned World Chocolate Master

Crusellas won the coveted title by bowling over the judges and viewers at home, who bestowed upon him the public #WOW award.

For the next three years, Crusellas, from Spain, will not only enjoy the muchcoveted titled of the world’s finest chocolate craftsman, but he also benefits from an exclusive collaboration with Harrods London. The chocolate creation will be displayed in the famous London luxury department store in spring 2023. Antoine Carréric from France and Nicolas Nikolakopoulos from Greece took home the silver and bronze medals respectively. Dilip Kumara, assistant pastry chef of FIVE Hotels and Resorts Dubai, represented the Middle East in the World Chocolate Masters.

Amaury Guichon, head of the WCM jury, said: “The World Chocolate Masters (WCM) have always been about pushing the boundaries of chocolate craftsmanship and scaling new heights, and during this year’s competition, Crusellas set a whole new standard for innovation and creativity. Amid fierce competition, the title of World Chocolate Master that Crusellas will be taking home is a tribute to the skill, ingenuity and vision he has shown throughout the final.” After an intense three final days at Salon du Chocolat Paris, Crusellas won over the jury, presided by pastry chef and star of Netflix’s “School of Chocolate” Amaury Guichon, with sensorial creations that highlighted his attention to detail, creativity and knowledge of flavor. On the final day, Crusellas was able to present a brioche with zero sugar by using an enzym Taking this — an amazing innovation that surprised the judges. Crusellas said: “It feels incredible to win the title of World Chocolate Master, after months and months of training, not just for me but for the whole team supporting me along the way. I’ve dreamed about winning this title, but I never expected it, and to be able to take the award home feels amazing. This is not just my prize; it is a prize that I share with all the professionals in my country.” Crusellas’s stunning #wow window display portrayed a world in danger, with a beautifully sculpted elephant standing on a scorched earth to depict two possible scenarios in the future. Earlier in the competition, Team Spain surprised visitors at the Salon du Chocolat by handing out 3D sculpted tokens. The results of the WCM World Final 2022 were as follows: Lluc Crusellas (Spain), 434p Antoine Carréric (France), 405p Nicolas Nikolakopoulos (Greece), 404p Anna Gerasi (Italy), 382p Christophe Rull (US), 381p Dongsuk Kim (Korea), 377p Joro Tanaka (Japan), 375p Togo Matsuda (Belgium), 370p Jacky Lung (China), 356p Igor Zaritskyi (Poland), 337p This year’s edition of WCM focused on what the world will see on counters and shelves of pastry shop in the future. The event was an online hit, with hundreds of thousands of chocolate enthusiasts tuning in to follow the competition and vote for their creations.

Established in 2005, WCM’s previous winners include Davide Comaschi from Italy, Vincent Vallée from France and Frank Haasnoot from the Netherlands.

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