Callebaut facts for kids
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Native name
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Callebaut
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| PLC | |
| Industry | Chocolate |
| Predecessor | Chocolaterie Callebaut |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Founder | Octaaf Callebaut |
| Headquarters |
Wieze
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Area served
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Global |
| Products | Couverture chocolate |
| Parent | Barry Callebaut |
Callebaut is a famous Belgian company that makes special chocolate called couverture chocolate. It's part of the Barry Callebaut group. Callebaut was started in Belgium in 1911 by a person named Octaaf Callebaut.
Couverture chocolate has a lot of cocoa butter. This makes it smooth and easy to work with. Professional chefs and bakers often use Callebaut chocolate because it always tastes great.
Callebaut makes its main chocolate range in Belgium. They use old family recipes and roast the whole cocoa bean. This special way of roasting helps keep all the delicious flavors and oils inside the cocoa. It makes their chocolate taste very rich.
Contents
The Story of Callebaut Chocolate
How it All Started
The Callebaut chocolate story began in 1911. Octaaf Callebaut started his chocolate company, Chocolaterie Callebaut, in Wieze, Belgium. He used the same factory building that his grandfather, Eugène Callebaut, had used since 1850. Eugène's company was called De Ploeg, and it was a family business that made beer and milled grain.
Octaaf Callebaut first made chocolate bars in 1911. By 1925, he started making couverture chocolate. This special chocolate quickly became popular with chocolatiers, bakers, and pastry chefs.
In 1930, Chocolaterie Callebaut PLC was officially formed. The company decided to focus on selling chocolate to professional chefs and bakers. They wanted to provide the best chocolate for these experts.
Focusing on Couverture Chocolate
After Octaaf Callebaut passed away, his daughter Marie and nephew Charles Callebaut took over the company in 1945. After World War II, Callebaut decided to make couverture chocolate their main product. They also made a few chocolate bars.
Callebaut started selling its chocolate to artisan chocolatiers all over the world. By 1965, Callebaut chocolate was sold in many countries in Europe and beyond. This was the start of Callebaut's global growth.
In 1988, Callebaut started making "callets." These are small, drop-shaped pieces of chocolate. They make it much easier for chefs to melt and use the chocolate. Before callets, chocolate came in big 5-kilogram blocks.
In the same year, Callebaut opened the Callebaut College in Belgium. This was a special place where chefs and chocolate lovers could learn new skills. They could also discover new chocolate trends and recipes. It was the first of many Callebaut Chocolate Academies around the world.
Growing in a Sustainable Way
In 1996, Callebaut joined with a French chocolate company called Cacao Barry. Together, they formed the Barry Callebaut group. Even though they merged, Callebaut and Cacao Barry still have their own chocolate brands. Callebaut is known as the top brand for Belgian couverture chocolate.
In 2002, Callebaut created the Callebaut Ambassador Club. This club helps develop new products and recipes. It also provides training for professionals. The club has 55 members from all over the world, including famous chefs.
Also in 2002, Callebaut, along with Carma and Cacao Barry, started the World Chocolate Masters. This is a big international competition just for chocolate artists. It happens every two years.
By 2005, Barry Callebaut was known as "the world's biggest chocolatier."
In May 2012, Callebaut became the first Belgian chocolate brand to use cocoa grown in a sustainable way for all its Belgian Chocolate recipes. Callebaut launched the "Growing Great Chocolate" program. This program helps cocoa farmers in West Africa earn a better living. It also works to improve their lives. Callebaut has been working to remove child labor from its supply chain. They have aimed to achieve this goal by 2025.
Callebaut was the first chocolate brand in Belgium to work directly with cocoa farmers. They help farmers grow cocoa beans sustainably through their "Growing Great Chocolate" program.
Callebaut was also the first chocolate maker in the world to get the ISO-9002 certificate. This certificate shows their strong commitment to quality.
Awards and Certifications
Quality Certifications
In 1990, Callebaut was the first chocolate maker in the world to receive the ISO-9002 certificate. This showed their dedication to making high-quality products. Over the years, Callebaut has earned many other important quality certificates, including:
- Retail Consortium (BRC)
- The self-checking system Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (ACS)
- Kosher
- Bio (EU)
- NOP (USDA Organic)
See also
