Every October, Paris hosts Salon du Chocolat, the world’s largest event dedicated to chocolate and cocoa. The fair brings together everyone from cacao farmers and traders to pastry chefs and chocolate makers, offering a unique look into every stage of the craft. This year marked the event’s 30th anniversary, celebrating three decades of connecting people across the global chocolate industry.
Over five days, visitors explored hundreds of stands featuring fine chocolate, confections, and innovations in cacao sourcing and processing. The atmosphere balanced business and celebration — part trade fair, part festival. Professionals came to showcase their work, lead workshops, attend conferences, and strengthen relationships, while enthusiasts came to taste and learn.
For anyone involved in chocolate, Salon du Chocolat is the place to meet the people who shape the industry. It’s where conversations about fermentation methods, sustainable sourcing, and new origins happen side by side with tastings of some of the world’s most remarkable chocolates.
During this year’s visit, I had the opportunity to taste Renacer, a Peruvian chocolate I’ve followed with admiration for nearly a year. I also stopped by Qantu, one of the makers we work with, to discover their new limited editions. Another highlight was meeting with Belco Cacao, whose team shared insights into their sourcing model and ongoing collaborations with producers.
The 30th edition of Salon du Chocolat was more than an anniversary — it was a reminder of how dynamic and interconnected the chocolate world has become. Behind every bar lies a network of people and stories, and events like this make that visible. Paris once again proved to be not just the capital of chocolate for a week, but a meeting point for the ideas and collaborations shaping its future.
