Weave Cacao is the world's first Pacific couverture chocolate, crafted in Papua New Guinea.
Mousse Masters is a one-of-a-kind competition designed to captivate the food service industry, showcase the magic of Weave Cacao’s couverture chocolate drops, and celebrate the artistry of New Zealand's chefs and bakers.
On the 21st of October, 9 Pro Chef finalists and 3 Promising Young chefs will present their mousse-based dishes to the judges at Elemental Cooking School.
Legendary chef Peter Gordon is on board as the competition’s ambassador and Head Judge.
Also on the judging panel are food writer and cookbook author Amber Rose, chocolate expert and journalist Luke Owen Smith, Weave Cacao co-founder Oonagh Browne and Sperian Kapaia.
Fundamental to Weave Cacao's values has been including cacao-growing communities in PNG as part of the core team and family. Hence, the company was thrilled to be joined by Sperian, leader of the Mupa community in East Sepik, PNG, where 50 percent of Weave Cacao’s beans are sourced.
Finalists will be travelling to Auckland from all around New Zealand, with chefs like Ben Chapman (Embra), Robert Cullen (NZICC), Maxine Scheckter (Sugar Flour) and Cocoa Wild’s Head Chocolatier Shalvi Mohindra all making the Grand Final.
It was tough work narrowing the field to 9 Pro Chefs, with so many extraordinarily creative entries showcasing chocolate artistry and Pasifika culture. The judges were also impressed by the standard of entries from culinary schools in the Promising Young Chef category, with AUT, NZMA, Ara Institute, and Toi-Ohomai all submitting their top student entries for consideration.
The winner of the Pro Chef competition will be taken on a life-changing trip to Papua New Guinea with Peter Gordon and Oonagh Browne, where they will meet with Weave Cacao’s farming communities, learn about the challenges and adversities that cacao farming communities face, and experience the entire process from tree to bean to couverture chocolate.
This year’s Most Promising Young Chef wins a year’s supply of Weave Cacao couverture (40kg) and a two-day Cacao Intensive Training Course with Oonagh Browne in Christchurch.
“I’m very excited to try all of these amazing mousses. It’s an incredible line-up for the final, and I’m sure it’s going to be very hard to pick a winner,” said Peter Gordon.
“The key may lie in how well the recipes represent Pasifika culture – that’s the part I’m really looking forward to.”
Mousse Masters is presented in proud partnership with Bidfood, Pacific Trade Invest, Food Writers New Zealand, and Elemental Cooking School.
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