With over 240 exhibitors from 30 countries, and a brand-new structure built around five immersive discovery tours, this year’s Salon is leaning hard into its most valuable currency — authenticity, with a focus on craftsmanship, credibility, and cultural connection in the age of soaring cocoa prices and shifting consumer expectations.
CocoaRadar is the event’s content partner. Here is what to expect in the booths.
Premium by Nature, Not by Marketing
At CocoaRadar, we’ve long tracked the rise — and dilution — of the word 'premium.' As we noted in our recent blog post for Salon du Chocolat.
The pressure is mounting. Inflation and historic cocoa prices are pushing consumers toward value — but not always volume. There’s a clear appetite, especially among high-income European households, for chocolate that tells a story: of origin, of process, of people.
Salon du Chocolat 2025 understands this tension — and is curating its 30th anniversary edition accordingly.
This Year’s Big Shift: From Exhibition to Exploration
For the first time, the Salon is structured around five thematic journeys, each tailored to a specific consumer mindset — and each rich with implications for premium chocolate makers:
1. Pépites Tour
For Curious Flavour Hunters
Think new brands, wild creativity, and one-of-a-kind products. This is the place for discovery — from Fleurs de Chocolat’s floral confections to Fuzco’s botanical cocoa infusions (created by Vincent Cluizel of the famed Cluizel family).
2. Origins & Bean to Bar Tour
For the Purists
Here’s where storytelling meets traceability. Brands like Bon Fiction, Fu Wan, and Paysac are showcasing chocolate that’s truly premium by nature, controlling the journey from tree to bar — and proving that ethical sourcing isn’t a marketing strategy, but a structural commitment.
3. Chefs’ Secrets Tour
For the Haute Pâtisserie Obsessed
From Pierre Hermé and Cédric Grolet to Claire Santos Lopes and Thierry Marx, this space is pure indulgence — with more than 50 live demos and the debut of Gault&Millau’s “Village des Chefs”, expanding into the savoury world.
4. Treasures of the World Tour
For Global Gourmets
Brazil takes centre stage as this year’s guest country, but don’t miss Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, and Madagascar either — all part of a deep dive into origin, terroir, and the cultural dimension of chocolate.
5. Musical Chocolate Show
For Families and First-Timers
An immersive experience blending live performance, chocolate dresses, and storytelling — perfect for new audiences and future superfans.
Premium Brands: Your Moment to Connect, Not Compete
As Marie-Lorraine Michot, Head of Marketing, Prestat Group & Rococo Chocolates, told CocoaRadar, “In an environment where large marketing investments are difficult to justify — especially for smaller artisans — authentic communication is far more valuable than paid advertising.”
With global players increasingly “premiumising” through packaging or positioning — rather than product integrity — she said there’s a real opportunity to reclaim the word ‘premium’ with substance.
CocoaRadar’s takeaway
Salon du Chocolat 2025 isn’t just a birthday party. It’s a litmus test for the premium chocolate sector in a post-pandemic, price-shocked world.
Can craft scale without losing credibility? Can luxury coexist with transparency? Can value be rebuilt — bar by bar — in the eyes of consumers?
We’ll be on the ground in Paris asking exactly those questions — and highlighting the brands that are answering them best.
- For more information and tickets, see website
Anthony Myers