NEWS

3 July 2009

On 1st July in Paris, Françoise Blouard Editions and Journalist/Photoographer Jean-Pierre Gabriel picked up two Gourmand Book Awards. “Cacao – The Roots of Chocolate” by Dominique Persoone and Jean-Pierre Gabriel, and “Chocolate Matter” by Stéphane Leroux and Jean-Pierre Gabriel, were crowned “Best Chocolate Book in the World” and “Second Best Cookbook in the World” respectively. This, in a competition in which thousands of books from all around the world participated.

The 14th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, the cookery-book equivalent of the Oscars, acknowledged the best publications from the past year. The 3 authors were presented with their awards by Edouard Cointreau, President of the Jury, on stage at the Comédie Française in the centre of Paris.

This dual distinction honours two outstanding chocolate experts: the Chocolatier from Bruges Dominique Persoone, and Stéphane Leroux, winner of Meilleur Ouvrier de France craftsmanship awards, and advisor to Belcolade, the Belgian chocolate producer.

This award also rewards the work of author and photographer Jean-Pierre Gabriel, one of the world's leading cookery book specialists. Belcolade, producer of The Real Belgian Chocolate, has been fully supportive of these projects since the very beginning, having worked closely with Stéphane Leroux and Dominique Persoone on the 2 books which are very different in styles, but which in their own way represent true craftsmanship.

For more information, please contact:

Françoise BLOUARD, editor - Avenue des Phalènes, 28 - B-1000 Brussels  +32 (0) 2 648 19 21
info@francoiseblouard.com  -  http://www.francoiseblouard.com/

Jean-Pierre GABRIEL - jp@jpgl.be

Dominique PERSOONE - info@dominiquepersoone.be  -  http://www.dominiquepersoone.be/  -  http://www.cacao-therootsofchocolate.com/

Stéphane LEROUX - sleroux@belcolade.com- "Chocolate Matter"