Ritter Courivaud Hosts an Inspired Afternoon of Pastry and Premium Ingredients

On Thursday, 20th March 2025, Ritter Courivaud, a leading name in National fine food and ingredient distribution, welcomed culinary professionals and pastry enthusiasts to an exclusive afternoon of pastry inspiration and innovation held at the beautiful Manzi’s of Soho in London. The event, held in celebration of the Ritter’s exceptional portfolio, showcased some of the world’s finest pastry ingredients through engaging demonstrations and tastings from globally renowned suppliers to the pastry sector.

Lauren Parker, Sales Director at Ritter Courivaud and Ritter Fresh, welcomed the specialist chefs to the event; she said
“Our rich heritage and ethos to supply the finest ingredients to the finest establishments live in the DNA of Ritter Courivaud, and our supply partnerships are held in the highest of regards. We are very proud to be able to collaborate with six of our key partners today – displaying product innovation in a way that is not always possible from a meeting room. I’m truly humbled by the customers who have taken time out of their day to join us this afternoon, and I would like to thank everyone for both their attendance and support.”

Some of the UK’s finest pastry chefs, high-end bakers, and cakery owners were treated to a sensory journey beginning with an interactive chocolate flavour pairing and educational session led by Julie Sharp and Mark Tilling, showcasing Callebaut’s rich legacy and evolution. The duo explored the cacao bean’s journey, communicated the complexities of the volatile chocolate market, and examined price fluctuations over the years — all while guests sampled expertly paired chocolates and perfect flavour combinations.

Tammy Lee, National Account Manager at Barry Callebaut, Gourmet UK said
“Today’s pastry innovation event was an excellent opportunity to tell the story behind our wonderful range of chocolates and talk about our 100% sustainable cocoa beans and certified organic chocolates, chips, chunks, fillings, nuts, and cocoa powders. Using our flavour pairing kit, developed with sommelier François Chartier, chefs can use our flavour cards to help them with inspiration for their menu creations. The cards suggest ingredients with molecular and aromatic similarities, offering chefs a palette of original combinations for their creations and this is what we have demonstrated in our interactive tasting session that we gave today.”

Julie Sharp, Head Chef of Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy UK & Ireland added
“The event was a great way to showcase how chefs can innovate their menus and excite their guests with daring combinations – We were pleased everybody was up for the challenge! Callebaut Ruby 2 chocolate, blue cheese, and tomato won the best taste combination, closely followed by Callebaut Gold chocolate, comté cheese, parsnip, and pecan.”

A highlight of the day was the presentation from Agrimontanna, one of Ritter Courivaud’s longest-standing partner. The iconic Italian brand delighted guests with its exquisite panettone and provided an insightful overview of the intricate panettone-making process. Guests also sampled its exceptional candied chestnuts, candied citrus fruits, and pistachio paste, which continue to set the standard for artisanal ingredients and were a huge hit with the chefs who attended, many of whom were given a luxury panettone to take home with them!

Spencer Jones, Head of Sales (Southern England), Ritter Courivaud said
“My customers always tell me how much they love working with Agrimontanna’s exceptional ingredients that help them make the perfect panettone. In particular, trust the product to really elevate their artisanal panettone to create something truly special. It was wonderful for Simone Gozzetti to meet our much-valued customers and showcase his fantastic range to them.”

Elle & Vire Professional brought French excellence to the table with their butters and whipping creams, offering a hands-on look at how different dairy textures and flavours perform in pastry applications. Attendees learned how to elevate recipes using the brand’s premium cream and butter range.

International Pastry Judge, Franciane Tartari swears by Elle & Vire products and won’t use anything else, she said
“I know with Elle & Vire that I am using the best product available on the market, the butter enables me to be confident in bringing out different flavours, making it an essential ingredient for all my dishes. I particularly like the Excellence Cream as it is quick to thicken with great hold and I use it in many different desserts and pastries, sometimes up to 40 litres per day – I am delighted to be here today, and it is always such a pleasure to catch-up with my wonderful Ritter Account Manager, Jean Ferragu, who always goes the extra mile to make sure I have everything I need, whenever I need it – Great service.”

Also featured was La Rose Noire, showcasing their beautifully hand-crafted tart shells. Founded by award-winning Swiss pastry chef Gerard Dubois, La Rose Noire tarts are a favourite among chefs seeking artisanal quality with consistent results.

Rebecca Marshman Rondeau, Group Head Pastry Chef at BaxterStorey said
“It has been wonderful to catch-up with friends old and new today and enjoy an interesting day of inspirational talks from the suppliers who were showcased. I was delighted to meet Ana Andrade from La Rose Noir and see the range of tart shells available, great for large functions and reducing labour intensity in our pastry kitchens – The vegan range is of an exceptional standard and a real lifesaver when catering for plant-based dietary requirements, I am very grateful to Lauren and the team for inviting me.”

Adding a fruity flourish to the afternoon, Boiron captivated the audience with their extensive range of fruit purees. The recently launched fruit puree line for mixologists demonstrated the brand’s commitment to innovation, inspiring new recipe ideas for chefs looking to experiment with bold, natural flavours and now as ingredients on cocktail menus across the globe.

Zak El Rhzari, Key Account Manager at Boiron, UK & ROI said
We are proud to have supplier Ritter for over two decades. As one of the market leaders globally for fruit purée, our mango, passion fruit, raspberry and strawberry purees have always been so popular among Ritter customers and now we have so many new citrus flavours like Sicilian lemon and kumquat, made with the whole fruit so you get the bitterness of the skin and a more balanced flavour. We are delighted to be here celebrating our longstanding relationship with Ritter, and it has been wonderful to catch up with all of the chefs who use our product range today.”

No afternoon would be complete without tea, and Novus Tea rounded off the event with a stunning selection of black, green, white, and herbal infusions. As a UK-based, family-owned business, Novus offered a refined tea-tasting experience that complemented the afternoon’s pastry creations perfectly.

Sam Baker, Account Manager at Ritter Courivaud concluded
“I’ve invited many of my customers here today, many of whom have told me personally how much they enjoyed the event, which is great to hear. It was lovely to showcase our wonder suppliers and top-quality produce. It’s great to keep in contact with our customers and give them a wonderful day out at Manzi’s, where it was our turn to look after them as our guests and I would also like to thank the team at Manzi’s for the champagne and canapé reception and excellent hospitality.”

This immersive event reaffirmed Ritter Courivaud’s position as a trusted partner for premium ingredients and inspired the next wave of pastry creativity. The company continues to support chefs and culinary professionals by delivering the highest quality ingredients from leading global producers.

For more information on Ritter Courivaud and its wonderful product range, visit: www.rittercourivaud.co.uk

Photography by Carlos Farinha @carlosclickuk