Barry Johnson

Barry Johnson is a meticulous and passionate chocolatier and pastry chef, whose attention to detail and innovative flavours have won him honours including gold and Silver medals at the 2013 Academy of Chocolate Awards and the 2013 International Chocolate Awards. He was also awarded the title of UK Pastry Open taste and overall winner earlier this year and selected as UK team captain for the European Pastry cup in Geneva in 2014.Barry trained as a pastry chef at The Connaught Hotel under Michel Boudin and Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir au Quat Saisons. During that time he won the Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Award of Excellence in pastry and a scholarship trip to America. Working at The Wolseley, Harrods, and as Head Pastry Chef at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel, he became increasingly interested in chocolate and decided to specialise.

Constantly learning and looking for new inspiration and challenges, Barry travelled around the world including South-East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and America for 2 ½ years. This journey introduced him to new ways of life, experiences and flavours that influence his chocolate-making today, visiting chocolate shops and cocoa plantations, working for a few chocolate companies and winning the innovative chocolate category at the Australian Chocolate Championships along the way. Upon returning to England, Barry worked for the Dorchester Collection at Coworth Park Hotel, established its chocolate room and helped to win a Michelin star during his tenure. He joined Rococo Chocolates in early 2012 and has enjoyed the challenges of increasing couture chocolate production, developing his own flavours, helping to write Rococo – Mastering the art of chocolate, training his young team and teaching master classes at the Rococo Chocolate School.