Callebaut® USA Appoints San Diego-based pastry chef, Jordan Snider, to Ambassadors Club
- Executive Pastry chef at Fairmont Grand Del Mar, recognized for expertise and dedication to chocolate artistry and innovation
- Snider will use his rich gourmet pastry experience to educate, inspire and mentor chocolate artisans across the world
Callebaut– the premium brand of Belgian chocolate and cocoa products for gourmet professionals – today announced that Jordan Snider, executive pastry chef at Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, has been appointed as the newest member of its Ambassador Club.
In this new role, Snider will collaborate with other Callebaut Ambassadors to shape the world of pastry through educational demonstrations, recipe development and product innovation.
With this appointment, Snider becomes one of seven Callebaut Ambassadors located in the United States. The invitation-only Ambassadors Club includes a global membership of more than 100 pastry chefs and chocolatiers from more than 20 countries.
“Chef Snider demonstrates the highest level of technical skill, quality, creativity and passion in his approach to fine pastry,” said Miriam Madrigal, Callebaut Brand Manager. “Our Ambassadors are selected based on their technical expertise, knowledge of ingredients, professional portfolio and process leadership. We were impressed with Snider’s mastery in all key areas, as well as his refreshing approach to pastry. It is an honor to welcome such a celebrated chef to our Club.”
Chef Snider is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of Charleston with a Certificate in the Pastry Arts. His versatility and innovative perspective on gourmet chocolate has gained him recognition from many well-known professionals in the field.
“Pastry is my life,” Snider said. “I want to work with a group of people who share the same passion as I do, continually striving for excellence. I love to teach others, which helps me refine my skills as a pastry chef. The Callebaut Ambassador Club is the perfect platform to collaborate with and learn from talented chefs in all stages of their careers. I am grateful for this incredible opportunity.”
Chef Jordan Snider began his career in the food and beverage industry at the age of 16, where he was introduced to all aspects of the pastry kitchen including showpieces, bonbons, confections, plated desserts, breads, patisserie and elegant banquet preparations.
He quickly became adept at retail bakery, artisan breads and croissants, and joined the Carolina Yacht Club as a banquet pastry chef in 2008. In 2010, he was named Pastry Sous Chef at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Las Vegas. Following his time at the Mandarin, Snider worked as the Pastry Chef Tournant at Paris and Bally’s Las Vegas Casino & Hotel. In 2013, he joined the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Las Vegas as the Executive Assistant Pastry Chef where he oversaw all banquet, convention, retail, restaurant and chocolate production for the resort.
Snider joined the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego as Executive Pastry Chef in 2014. In this role, he is responsible for the hotel’s high-volume banquet operations, three fine-dining restaurants, room amenity program and wedding banquet operations.
Chef Snider placed 4th overall in the 2014 Pastry Live Chocolatier of the Year competition. That same year he won the Audience Choice Award in the Pastry Live National Showpiece Championship.
In addition to Chef Snider, the Callebaut® USA Ambassador team includes:
- Robert Bennett – Executive Pastry Chef at Classic Cake, Philadelphia, PA
- Geoff Blount – Baking & Pastry Arts Instructor at International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, SC
- Natasha Capper – Executive Pastry Chef at Piedmont Driving Club, Atlanta, GA
- Patrick Peeters – Head of Innovation-Master Chocolatier at Chocolove, Denver, CO
- Celine Plano – Pastry Chef/Co-Owner at Pascaline Fine Catering, Sebastopol, CA
- Julian Rose – Master Chocolatier and Director of Research & Development at Moonstruck Chocolate Co., Portland, OR
About Callebaut (www.callebaut.com):
For more than 100 years, Callebaut has been making chocolate in the heart of Belgium and is still one of the rare chocolate makers to select, roast and grind cacao beans into its own secret and exclusive cocoa mass – the most important ingredient for chocolate couvertures. Callebaut was established in 1850 in Belgium as a malt brewery and dairy company. It produced its first chocolate bars in 1911 and began production of chocolate couverture for Belgian chocolatiers soon after.
Callebaut began exporting its products in 1950 to craftsmen all over the world and is part of Barry
Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate.
About Barry Callebaut Group (www.barry-callebaut.com):
With annual sales of about CHF 6.2 billion (EUR 5.6 billion / USD 6.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014/15, the Zurich-based Barry Callebaut Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products – from sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings, decorations and compounds. The Group runs more than 50 production facilities worldwide and employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of more than 9,000 people.
The Barry Callebaut Group serves the entire food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers. The two global brands catering to the specific needs of these Gourmet customers are Callebaut® and Cacao Barry®.The Barry Callebaut Group is committed to sustainable cocoa production to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods. It supports the Cocoa Horizons Foundation in its goal to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future.
