ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, and BEIJING — Barry Callebaut has opened a new office and a Chocolate Academy center in Beijing. The center will assist the company’s customers with onsite training and application support. Zurich-based Barry Callebaut in China already operates a Chocolate Academy in Shanghai.

“As a global leader in the chocolate industry, serving food manufacturers and professional users of chocolate, we are excited about the great growth potential of China,” said Ben De Schryver, president of Barry Callebaut’s Asia Pacific region. “Domestic chocolate production is increasing, and we have experienced double-digit growth in China over the last four years. Our confidence in the future development of the chocolate market in China, together with the desire to better serve our Chinese customers, have prompted the expansion of our footprint and distribution network across China over the next few years.”

Through the new Beijing office, Barry Callebaut has increased the number of its sales representatives in China and extended its distribution network in the country across 21 cities, including Chongqing, Dalian, Kumming, Nanjing, Ningbo, Tianjin, Xiamen and Wuhan.