In 1973 the idea of the Kettle Award came to Europe with the mutual agreement of Don Gussow, founder of the American Candy Kettle Association and Guy Urbain, an eminent Parisian confectioner, and a Club was formed in Europe. The European Candy Kettle Club consists of members from companies supplying ingredients and machinery to the confectionery industry as well as members of the Trade Press. The Club honours each year a company representative from the European confectionery industry who has excelled in the confectionery, chocolate and biscuit industry in research and development, innovation in product quality and production techniques and outstanding marketing and sales implementation, as well as a unique contribution to the industry's progress.
The selection criteria are outstanding achievements in:
In recognition of these achievements, each year at an award ceremony in their choice of European venue, the winner receives a traditional miniature Copper Candy Kettle and a certificate.
The winner of the 2019 European Candy Kettle Award is Josef Zotter. The Austrian chocolatier and his family are running a unique chocolate and fine pralines factory in Riegersburg in the Austrian Styria.
2018
Jean-Paul Burrus
France
2017
Jan Kolansky
Poland
2016
Bastian Fassin
Germany
2015
Jean-Luc Grisot
France
2014
Nunzio Pulvirenti
Italy
2013
Majlen Fazer
Finnland
2012
Birol Altinkiliç
Turkey
Born in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Moved around a lot, both in the Netherlands and abroad. Mechanical engineering degree in 1990 in the Netherlands. Started a new career at Extrugroup in the beginning of 2004.
