Meet The North American Chocolate Master Contestants from the US
Meet The North American Chocolate Master Contestants from the US
The World Chocolate Masters competition is a major event for aspiring pastry chefs and chocolatiers who aim to make an impact on the global stage. Each of these talented individuals has displayed the potential to become a creative leader in the industry. Their performance during the national selection will be critical in determining who will earn a spot in the World Chocolate Masters final in 2025. Only one contestant can advance to the final round, so the competition will be fierce.
Joshua Cain
Joshua Cain is originally from North Carolina and holds an A.A.S Degree in Culinary Technology and A.A.S Baking and Pastry Arts. He has been working in the hospitality industry for 28 years, during which he has gained experience in AAA four and five diamonds resort and city hotels. He has held senior positions such as Senior Pastry Chef at JW Marriott Desert Ridge, Complex Pastry Chef at the WDW Swan and Dolphin, Executive Pastry Chef at Orlando World Center, Caribe Royale Orlando Resort, and Evermore Orlando Resort. Joshua has won several awards, including the 2011 Sugar Art Casting Challenge and the Competitors' Choice Award for the 2012 Pastry Live competition.
Sumant Sharma
Sumant Sharma was born into a farming family. He pursued a unique career in the culinary industry, which took him from his rural roots to working at global luxury hotels. Sumant's educational journey was in biology science and hotel management, and it led him to an internship at the prestigious Raambagh Palace Taj in Jaipur. During his tenure, he worked in Bachmann Japanese Pvt. and honed his expertise in pastry and pre-opening operations. He further developed his skills in Singapore, Marriott, Taj, and Hyatt in India, and GHM in Sharjah, UAE.
Sumant is an innovator in the fine-dining Indian restaurant Musaafer in Houston, Texas. He has revolutionized Indian pastries by infusing them with modern techniques and specializing in aphrodisiac ingredients. He combines traditional flavors with neoteric technology, crafting distinctive chocolate creations. Due to his unique approach to cooking, Sumant Sharma is recognized as a culinary trailblazer.
Ruchit Harneja
Ruchit Harneja is the Corporate Pastry Chef at Berg Hospitality Group in Houston, TX. He started his culinary journey at one of India's most prestigious hotels, The Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi, where he worked his way up to become the Head Pastry Chef. After a brief stint at The Andaz in Delhi, he moved to the United States in 2018 to establish an inventive pastry program at Musaafer Houston, which received much recognition. Recently, he took on the role of Corporate Pastry Chef at Berg Hospitality, where he supervises pastry programs for their 12 restaurants and leads research and development for future ventures.
Matt LoCurto
Matt LoCurto has studied both Culinary Arts as well as Baking & Pastry at Niagara Falls Culinary Institute, New York. In 2020, when many businesses began closing due to COVID-19, he decided to move to West Virginia to participate in the Pastry Apprenticeship program at The Greenbrier Resort. As of now, he serves as the lead baker at the same resort. Moreover, he was able to win the Bronze award at the ACF Buffalo Culinary Salon in 2019.
About World Chocolate Masters
The World Chocolate Masters is the world’s only competition dedicated to the creative talent of artisans and chefs with chocolate. Since its first edition in 2005, the competition has grown into an inspiring platform where you’ll see trends in chocolate first – fuelled by changing consumer needs and shaped by the creative skills of talents from around the world. What is created at the World Chocolate Masters finds its way to the high streets in the years to come.
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