I was invited to Venice (the one in Italy, not the one in California) in late-October to be a part of the launch event of what Barry Callebaut is calling “2nd Generation (‘G2’) Chocolate.”
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DISCLAIMER: I was an invited member of the press representing TheChocolateLife and International Confectionery magazine (for whom I am the technical editor). Most, but not all, of my travel expenses were covered by Barry Callebaut. I received no direct offer of other compensation of any kind from BC, nor did I feel any influence of any kind that might color my coverage.
TL;DR – My opinions are my own and are not for sale.
TL;DR – My opinions are my own and are not for sale.
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Erratum: In my article for International Confectionery I mentioned there were two G2 milks – a 35% milk-forward and a 55% cocoa forward. In fact, they are both 55% cocoa content milks.
Backstory
The G2 product launch for the press was my fifth Barry Callebaut presser in five years. The first was the Ruby launch event in Shanghai in 2017; followed by the launch of Hidden Persuaders in Cocoa and Chocolate at ISM in Köln in 2018, and then the launch of WholeFruit in San Francisco in 2019. I was in Tokyo in January 2020 for the press event supporting BC customers in Japan announcing products incorporating Ruby for Valentine’s Day that year.
There are links to some of my coverage of those stories below.
Livestream Topics
What I am going to be covering in detail during this live stream about the G2 launch:
- What is 2nd Generation Chocolate?
- Why is it called 2nd Generation?
- How was it announced? Pre-event and event activities.
- How was the announcement covered by mainstream business press?
- How was the announcement covered by trade press?
- What are some potential impacts for Big Chocolate?
- What are some potential impacts for craft chocolate?
- How should craft chocolate makers respond? Should craft chocolate makers respond?
Why Am I Talking About This at All?
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One in four chocolate and cocoa products consumed worldwide are made with Barry Callebaut ingredients and the group processes almost one million tonnes of cocoa a year, about a fifth of the global volume.
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A (Short) Personal Photoblog
The Venice Venice Hotel
The wait for the journey is over, bringing forth the dream: the era of The Venice Venice Hotel has begun. Those who wish to know more need only to enter and allow themselves to be carried away.
Launch Event Galleries
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Note: If the “most consumed” (see the *disclaimer text, above) milk chocolates are in the 33% and under cocoa content range (very likely), then the fact these two milks are 55% accounts for all of the 50% less sugar claims. The same is true for dark chocolate when the 75% is compared with a 55%.
I have been told that the word “craft” was not deliberately chosen to make it more difficult for craft chocolate to differentiate between industrial chocolate. But how will BC customers – and their customers, consumers – interpret the language? It has the potential to cause even more marketplace confusion that would likely affect craft chocolate makers disproportionately.
Comments from Barry Callebaut
Late last week I submitted an article on the G2 launch to International Confectionery Magazine along with some more of my observations. The following comments, which I read aloud during the stream, are from Bas Smit – Global VP Marketing for the Barry Callebaut Group. It has been edited for typos, punctuation, and grammar.
“It’s our ambition with 2ndGen to transform the chocolate industry and support artisans and brands to be future fit. The consumer wants and needs it, governments ask for it, and investors expect it [since high sugar products are a concern for them in the context of potential regulations coming in force in the years to come]. As such, the evolution of the automotive and soft drinks industry is not different for what we foresee for chocolate. And this is not a one night game. A journey for the coming decades. And we are committed to lead and drive it. Therefore, the 2ndGen product architecture does not limit itself to what you tasted in Venice.
“These are the first manifestations we currently introduce to the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) customers. They are part of the 2ndGen CORE range. Meanwhile we have already developed prototypes with a more complex flavour profile [2ndGen PLUS range] to be launched by our Artisans brands first and later a PLUS range will be made available for the consumer brands as well. This will hopefully unlock a category in milk chocolate [not only dark chocolate] which does not widely exist yet [fine flavour milk chocolates].”
2nd Generation Chocolate News Reports in Other Outlets
Barry-Callebaut-CEO verspricht Schokoladen-Innovation
Der Schokoladenhersteller Barry Callebaut will dem aktuellen Food-Trend folgen und eine ganz neue Art der Schokolade produzieren. Diese soll nur halb so viel Zucker wie normale Sorten enthalten.
Barry Callebaut introduces the second generation of chocolate
To indulge in the purity of cocoa flavors, Barry Callebaut has redesigned the farming, fermentation, and roasting of the cocoa beans.
Bloomberg (site is hidden behind a captcha)
Barry Callebaut raises the bar in bid to redefine chocolate making
In a move it hopes will redefine the way chocolate is made, Swiss-based Barry Callebaut launched a new bar on Thursday, the fruit of more than 20 years of research into cocoa beans.
Barry Callebaut unleashes ‘2nd Generation Chocolate’ to herald a cocoa renaissance
After almost 150 years of traditional chocolate craft, Barry Callebaut has announced a major breakthrough for the industry by redesigning the farming, fermentation, and roasting of the cocoa bean to create what it has called the ‘second generation of chocolate’.
Barry Callebaut unveils chocolate’s ‘second generation’ with key Venice launch
The CEO of Barry Callebaut, Peter Boone, has hailed a “paradigm shift’ for the chocolate industry, in unveiling its ‘second generation chocolate’ at a special launch event in Venice, Italy, reports Neill Barston.
Barry Callebaut focuses on flavor with ‘second generation of chocolate’
The Swiss manufacturer has introduced two products developed under the Cocoa Cultivation & Craft principle, which aims to coax out the nuances of flavor during the cultivation, fermentation and roasting processes.
“Low sugar, purity of flavor”: Barry Callebaut redefines chocolate production for the mindful consumer
28 Oct 2022 --- Chocolate and cocoa giant Barry Callebaut has ushered in a new era of innovation with the reveal of its second-generation chocolate in Venice, Italy, this week. The company has reinvented chocolate production from farm to roasting, which honors the “mindful consumption” movement wher…
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Live Stream Links
Watch/Participate on YouTube, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Visit TheChocolateWire Channel on YouTubeMy LinkedIn profile
TheChocolateLife page live event
Hashtags
#BarryCallebaut
#2ndGenerationChocolate #SecondGenerationChocolate #G2Chocolate
#Venice #Italy
#TheChocolateLife #TheChocolateLifeLIVE #LaVidaCocoa
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