National Selections: Report

Andreas Overgaard wins the Danish Chocolate Masters selection


Copenhagen, 25-26 February 2007. The Danish selection for the World Chocolate Masters kept it promise and became a high level contest between 5 talented chocolate workers. The winner was 26-year-old Andreas Overgaard. This pastry chef from Conditori La Glace in Copenhagen impressed the jury with some outstanding chocolate creations, such as a praline with apricot, lavender and honey chocolate and a refreshing cake with caramel and lemon peel. His secret? Perfection in preparation and decoration. 

The winner of the Finest Taste Award was Daniel Kruse from Bronshoj.  As much as he had hoped to win and to represent Denmark in the world finals, his showpiece broke into a million pieces only minutes before it had to be delivered to the jury. 
However, the very refined taste of his pralines, pastry and dessert won him the "Taste Award".

Brian Broeckner, last year's finalist, took another shot and participated with an apricot and pepper praline, a pastry with chocolate mousse and mango and orange cream and a very beautiful chocolate showpiece called "Viking-guder".
Due to the snow storm which covered Denmark in at that moment, Broeckner arrived at the contest with quite a delay, but his nerves were surprisingly strong and could not keep him from creating some extra-ordinary chocolate specialties!

Karl Viggo Vigfusson, the only Icelandic contestant, treated the jury with his "Skyr Duchesse" pastry, with caramel & chocolate ganache and a mousse of orange chocolate and rosemary "skyr" or Icelandic milk specialty.

Peter Finne impressed the entire public with an exceptionally high chocolate showpiece, called "Lokes 3 børn".

The competition was followed closely by the national television, like DR1 "Aftenshowet" (prime time broadcast of about 5 minutes on 26th February) and “Go´morgen Danmark” on TV2.


All contestants and their creations were judged on technical and taste aspects by a jury of renowned chocolate workers from Denmark and abroad : 

Technical jury:

- Gert Sørensen - President of La Société de Chefs-Cuisiniers de Denmark and President of the jury.
- Peter Rolej - Dalum Technical School
- Hafladi Ragnasson - Callebaut Ambassador
- Alexandre Bourdeaux – Barry Callebaut Technical advisor

Taste jury:

- Marianne Vallentin - Callebaut Ambassador
- Morten Villadsen – Chocolate Magazine
- Kim Rasmussen - Callebaut Ambassador and owner of Xocolatl
- Ole Troelsø - Journalist Børsen
- Kristin Kristinsson - Ålborg Technical School