Ms. Andal Balu
Ms. Andal Balu and her husband Dr. Balu M. Balasubramanian have started and propelled many companies to success including InnoConcepts since 1992. Her interest in chocolate processing began in 2006. After couple of years of R&D, CocoaTown was founded.
Now, CocoaTown equipment has made 'bean to bar' business a level playing field for all the chocolatemakers regardless of their mechanical skills. In 2013, CocoaTown received "Innovation in Fine Chocolate Products" award by the Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA). CocoaTown equipment is currently being used in more than 50 countries. She helps chocopreneurs to make the best chocolate.
She holds a Master’s degree in Botany. She has worked in agricultural research as Agricultural Research Services Scientist (ARS) for 7 years in India. She understands the crop and the processing of the beans before it is sold to the consumer and gets excited to share her knowledge with the farmers. She also helps the cocoa farmers by tasting their beans and evaluating their beans for right fermentation and drying.
She likes to travel and her goal is to visit at least 100 countries in the next 10 years. She is also member of professional organizations such as FCIA, GIACC, etc.
AndalBalu also has given seminars in these prestigious chocolate events:
- Salon du Chocolat Seoul - 2014
- Philadelphia Candy show- 2013
- Pacific Northwest Chocolate festival in Seattle 2013
- Chicago Chocolate festival 2012
- Fine Chocolate Industry Associtation 2013
Chocolatier Arun
The journey towards my chocolaterie started a few years back during his visit to Hershey's, while attending Cornell University in New York. he learnt the art of chocolate making under Chocolatier Dominique Persoone of The Chocolate Line, Bruges, Belgium and got his certification as a professional chocolatier in 2013.
Ganache For Da Chocoholics started in 2014. It offers an amazing variety of his signature creations. We at Ganache, have conducted two workshops for students from Cornell University, USA & TNAU, Coimbatore, India at our premises in 2015, 2016. Also we conducted our first workshop conducted our first International workshop in Febuary,2016 in Science of Chocolates for Food Science students at Cornell University, USA. We have also conducted truffle making workshops in Chennai and now have started working with farmers in producing bean to bar chocolates after working at Dandelion Chocolaterie, USA for a week. Presently working on marketing aspects of Indian cocoa & chocolate as a part of my Ph.D. research .
Fazloor Rahman
Fazloor Rahman, is Managing Director, M&N Goodies Pvt Ltd.. He has a Basic science degree in catering technology. He acquired his MBA degree from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. Fazloor Rahman started his career as a chocolatier, product consultant, and now founder of a business that manufactures hand crafted chocolates.
In 1942 The founders (Mohamed Ebrahim & Noorulhein) of Nilgiri Products Showroom (NPS) has used the expertise of some of the British butlers and added homemade chocolates in their firm. In early 2000, Rahman Brothers of NPS family created the brand M&N Chocolates as an honor to the founders. Fazloor Rahman is an internationally renowned business man straddling the chocolate making space for over 15 years. His professional training in chocolate making includes the following credentials
ECHOLECHOCOLAT, Professional School of Chocolate Art, Canada.
- Professional Chocolatier
- Chocolate making from the bean for chocolatier
Mastering Chocolate Flavor Program from Chocolate Academy. Barry Callebaut.
- Pralines & Bon Bons Course & Chocolate-Beyond Basics & Expertise
COCOTOWN, USA :
- Bean to Bar Pure Chocolate making class.
His passion for chocolate along with his social concern made him to initiate Annual Chocolate festival at his business place M&N Chocolate at Ooty. To his credit he has organized more than 10 annual chocolate festivals with a motto to create awareness about chocolate among the Indian Populations. He is closely working with cocoa farmers, research scientists, chocoholics and business community for delivering healthy hand crafted chocolates to the public. His constant efforts for providing healthy chocolates made him to create Nations First Ever Chocolate Museum at Ooty known as M&N Chocolate Museum. He accomplished National Record in 2014 along with his team for the creation of Longest Chocolate Bar in (18.16 meter long and 75 cm wide - 400 kg-national record 2014) LIMCA Book of Records.
