Valrhona Signature's Middle East debut at Gulfood

Valrhona has created its first range of custom-made pastry decoration called Valrhona Signature, and launched it in the Middle East at Gulfood 2016.

Virginie Labigne, manager, Valrhona Signature, told Caterer Middle East that the decoration range is made with pure Valrhona chocolate, and the first range was unveiled in September 2015 in France and Belgium.

The range, Labigne said, is made with guanaja and opalys chocolates from Valrhona.

She said: "We believe that decoration is not something that is just beautiful but is part of the dessert, and so it has to be good. We believe that chocolate decoration is part of the overall guest experience."

The printing process makes use only of cocoa butter and is "non-azoique". Azo dyes are synthetic colours which help in creating dark shades of colours in food, and Labigne has revealed the Valrhona Signature range is free of this ingredient.

Revealing that 60% of the company's business is in personalisation, Labigne has said that the Valrhona Signature range enables pastry chefs to personalise and create their own decorations, thereby having their own identity with the pastry creation.