International Confectionery converses with Barry Colenso, business owner of Barry Colenso Master Chocolatier ltd, to discuss his career achievements and response to recent trends.
1.What do you believe will be the next big industry trend?
I believe the next trend has already started in earnest, for my mind Veganism and Sustainability are the key going forward. If I was starting my chocolate life now this where I would be concentrating my efforts.
And of course, there is huge growth in the Bean to Bar concept, which is really exciting, as long as companies understand the complexities of this, and are able to produce a consistent quality product. This is where start-ups need to reach out for some guidelines from either the equipment or ingredients suppliers.
There are many trends in flavours which is always exciting to see, I remember developing the first Aromatherapy range which we thought was amazing, unfortunately our customers did not agree.
From the many after dinner the presentations I give there is clearly this mystery around Cocoa % and Single Origin, because we are close to this my feeling is we are underestimating the opportunity which there is still out there to educate the public.
2. Are there any developments in your business lately?
My consultancy business continues to flourish, especially now that travel restrictions are beginning to ease, there is a high demand for guidance in all areas of the Confectionery world. I guess I am slightly unique, in that I understand Blue Sky Product Development but also what it takes to make things happen in production. I have now ceased production of my own brand of chocolates to concentrate on consultancy.
3. How did COVID-19 impact in running your business effectively?
Like many businesses, COVID-19 did have a massive impact on the food industry. Obviously with the ban on travel the Covid situation had a massive impact on my Consultancy, I did manage to keep several projects going remotely, this clearly was exceedingly difficult when you cannot visit the companies and understand their culture and capabilities. Now, I am very happy to report that these have all come to fruition over the past few months.
4.What was your involvement in the creation of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding cake? How did you find that process?
For Prince Williams Wedding Cake I was delighted to be invited by the McVities Cake company to design create and deliver this amazing project.
The recipe for the cake was the favourite afternoon tea cake of HRH Prince William, which contains Rich Tea Biscuits, the actual recipe will remain with me and never be shared.
The actual design was an assortment of intricate flowers made with various techniques.
All of the elements were transported separately and then I spent two memorable days in Buckingham Palace putting the cake together. We were honoured to meet HRH The Queen, Prince William and Prince Harry during our time in the Palace.
Read the full article in our Novmeber-December issue here: International Confectionery (pagesuite-professional.co.uk)
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Editor, International Confectionery
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