A chocolatier (/ˌtʃɒkələˈtɪər, ˈtʃɒkələtɪər/ CHOK-əl-ə-TEER, -teer, UK also /ˌtʃɒkəˈlætɪər/ CHOK-ə-LAT-eer, French: [ʃɔkɔlatje] ) is a person or company who makes confectioneries from chocolate. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients. They are pastry chefs or confectioners who specialize in chocolate and making chocolate candies. Chocolatiers work artisanally with ready-made chocolate mass and are therefore distinct from industrial chocolate makers; in the chocolate industry they are sometimes referred to derisively as "melters".[1]
In the food industry, it is mostly food technologists or food technology engineers (FH) who deal with the development and further development of chocolate products in large, well-known chocolate brands. For the industrial production of chocolate and chocolate products, a three-year training course has been set up in Germany to train people as specialists in confectionery technology.[2] The Central Technical School of the German Confectionery Industry (ZDS) in Solingen offers further education and training.[3]