Thomas Schnetzler Lindt Maître Chocolatier Interview

Interview with Thomas Schnetzler, Lindt Maître Chocolatier

Question: Can you talk us through the development of a new flavour, such as Lindor Pistachio?

Thomas Schnetzler:  It is a pretty complex process that takes quite some time.

Of course, us Maître Chocolatiers as well as many other passionate people within the Lindt team are full of great ideas as to what would make an interesting combination to go with our fine chocolate.

As we have over 170 years of chocolate making know-how behind us and live and breathe chocolate, we have a fair understanding of what actual flavour profiles work well with chocolate. We also take new concepts to some lucky people in research sessions to see the reaction of consumers.

Once it is decided what kind of shell is used (we settled on milk for Pistachio as it still is the most popular chocolate - the creaminess and dairy flavour rounds off the earthy nutty flavour), we then get to work on the filling using finest pistachio and staying true to the smooth melting mouth feel of Lindor.

Multiple rounds of tweaks to the recipes are tasted and tested before we go in production.


Question: Where do you find inspiration for creating new flavours?

Thomas Schnetzler: Us Maître Chocolatiers find inspiration literally everywhere… nature, the changing seasons, something like an amazing food market, interesting ingredients, the work of some Avant Garde chefs as well as some traditional recipes.

All of us Maître Chocolatiers always have an open mind and think of what could be next - with a notebook and pen never far away.


Question: Could you share your earliest memory of chocolate?

Thomas Schnetzler: Growing up in Switzerland, chocolate is ever present, and we get introduced to it very early on.

Almost every town would have a Chocolaterie and the stunning window displays just looked like pure magic to me as a young boy. My mother had a sweet tooth and loved chocolate, so I got to enjoy a little square very early on.

Memories like licking the spoon of a chocolate cake being made, being given the small chocolate that came with coffee by your parents or the bit of chocolate with some crusty bread as an after-school snack.

It is no wonder that us Swiss eat the most chocolate per capita in the world - just under 10kg per person per year!

Question: How did you take your love for chocolate to a career?

Thomas Schnetzler: I started my apprenticeship as a chocolatier in one of those magic stores at the age of fifteen and have now been in love with chocolate for 25 years.

I came to Australia and now have been lucky enough to represent Lindt and share it's love and passion for chocolate with everyone here for the past 16 years.


Question: What is a typical day like, for you?

Thomas Schnetzler: It really varies but always includes some chocolate! For example:

Fine tuning recipes and working with the overseas team to get a product to where we believe everyone in Australia would love it.
Writing some tasting notes for new products to help consumers understand a new product or enlighten people on the complexity that is chocolate (for example, the varied cocoa percentages)
Work on new concepts for Lindt to explore and delight consumers
Work out pairings for our chocolate, such as wine or coffee
Create easy to follow recipes using Lindt chocolate for consumers to re-create at home
And often there is also some media which can including filming cooking shows or for internal education programs.


Question: What's next, for Lindt?

Thomas Schnetzler: In the short term, after introducing Lindor Pistachio we move swiftly into Easter, which is obviously an exciting time of the year for chocolate and our iconic Lindt Gold Bunny.

In 2020, Lindt will celebrate 175 years in chocolate – a big achievement which we will celebrate accordingly! From there and no doubt for the following 175 years we will continue to strive to create the very best chocolate for chocolate lovers in Australia and all around the world.

Melt into a Moment of Bliss with New Lindor Pistachio

Introducing the latest from Lindt – NEW Lindor Pistachio, a delicately smooth and creamy Lindor chocolate with a decadent pistachio filling.

Lindor Pistachio is created using finest Lindt milk chocolate and features the signature chocolate shell encasing a delicate, smooth, melting pistachio filling.

Crafted by the Lindt Master Chocolatiers, this perfectly balanced combination of chocolate and pistachio is sure to become a Lindor classic.

Thomas Schnetzler, Lindt Maître Chocolatier, says, "I'm thrilled to announce the launch of Lindor Pistachio, the latest flavour to join the Lindor family. Chocolate and nuts are a match made in heaven, and pistachio is one of my favourites. Combining finest pistachios in the smooth chocolate centre in the classic Lindor shell, it's a delicious surprise! I am really excited for Australians to discover this new creation and hope they love it as much as I do."

The Lindt Maître Chocolatiers are true masters in the art of chocolate, and have developed and refined their unique secret recipes, driven by their unmatched standard for chocolate quality and passion for innovative flavours. Lindt is committed in all production processes to maximum quality and sustainability – from sourcing the best raw materials from cocoa beans through our Farming Program, through to production of exquisite creations.

Review: Only Lindt could develop yet another delicious flavour in their Lindor range. The pistachio center is unbelievably creamy and has a delicate hit of pistachio surrounded by the superbly decedent Lindt chocolate. These chocolates are an absolute winner; great for a gift or to keep all to yourself…
- Brooke Hunter

Lindor Pistachio is available in all major retailers from February 2019
RRP $7.20
Pack size: 123g

Interview by Brooke Hunter