Elias Läderach wins the World Chocolate Masters in Paris: the renowned world championship for the world’s 20 top chocolatiers. Apart from winning the whole tournament, Elias Läderach achieved first place in four out of seven categories: Chocolate Showpiece, Chocolate Snack to go, Chocolate Design and Chocolate Bonbon. His innovative interpretations of the Futropolis theme and his meticulously hand-crafted creations delighted the jury thanks to their perfect blend of a refined yet simple texture, intense taste and sustainability – both in the concept and in the recipe itself.

In the year 2025, one-half of the world’s population will live in megacities with 10 million inhabitants or more. In these cities, gastronomy will meet art and design, and sustainability will be a key issue. How will these places influence the taste experiences of the future? What will the next generation of chocolate and pastry creations look like? In accordance with the theme of this year’s World Chocolate Masters – Futropolis – participants were challenged to find answers to these questions. Elias Läderach, a member of the historic Läderach family of Swiss chocolatiers and representative of Switzerland in this competition, also puzzled over these questions and, as a result, was inspired to reach new creative heights. These works of art, which he created live at the World Chocolate Masters with a great deal of care and skill, are his answers to the questions of the future and are not only a delight for the senses, but also set new standards in terms of sustainability. Läderach demonstrates its dedication to sustainability every day: all employees and partners along the value chain are part of the chocolate family, and are all committed to thinking and acting in ways that will help protect future generations. The preparations for this year’s World Chocolate Masters lasted a full year. Elias Läderach spent this time playing around with his recipes and perfecting the aesthetics. In this way, he embodies the philosophy of Läderach – the chocolate family, which stands for innovation, artisanal skills and creativity.

These are the creations that Elias Läderach reproduced live at the World Chocolate Masters and that he used to impress the expert jury: The Chocolate Travel Cake – a seductive, crunchy chocolate roll. A large chocolate masterpiece that explores the theme of Futropolis as a harmonious evolution. Using an extraordinary range of traditional, modern and unique chocolate techniques, Elias Läderach reveals how diverse, beautiful and delicate his creation is. The Or Noir Tablet – a symbiosis between a unique, highly flavoursome couverture and a modern, exotic fruit caramel. Snack to go – a delicious snack comprised of three parts that comes in a oneof- a-kind, convenient and biodegradable wrapper that is perfectly suited to the needs of the urban population of tomorrow. The Moulded chocolate bonbon – an exclusive praline that combines a classic milk and dark chocolate ganache with a modern mandarin-lemongrass coulis on a crunchy base. The Fresh Patisserie, which is made of the best quality market-fresh ingredients. With its colours and shapes, this dessert creation appears simple and almost futuristic, but at the same time delightfully natural. And, last but not least, Chocolate Design, a three-dimensional painting made of chocolate that features not only brilliant artistry, but also sends a clear message. A chocolate pièce de résistance that epitomises both the power of art and Elias Läderach’s passion for chocolate.

Elias Läderach, whose grandfather Rudolf Läderach founded the company, represents the third generation of the family. The talented confectioner, who is the member of the chocolate family responsible for innovation and production, is upholding his family’s tradition with enthusiasm and dedication. Thanks to his creativity and his passion for the art of chocolate-making, he is able to continually develop new products that never fail to delight chocolate lovers. In September 2017, Elias Läderach won the title of Swiss Chocolate Master, and therefore has the honour of representing Switzerland at the World Chocolate Masters 2018 in Paris.

His passion, creativity and artisanal care have allowed Elias Läderach to win the World Chocolate Masters. The entire chocolate family would like to warmly congratulate Elias on his victory, and is looking forward to the exquisite chocolate works of art that he will create in the future!