Keith is an unusual phenomena for the British chocolate industry as a home grown talent with extensive training with some of Europe’s finest confectioners and chocolatiers in Belgium, Switzerland and France.

He is now widely recognised as one of the UK’s most talented chocolatiers and in May 2011 was crowned Joint Chocolatier of the Year by the prestigious Academy of Chocolate.

Keith began his career at 16, working part-time in a local bakery whist studying catering at Worcester College. With a strong affinity towards anything sweet, he took a particular interest in pastry, and confectionary, gaining a number of qualifications in bakery, confectionery and patisserie at some of Britain’s leading catering colleges while working as a Commis Pastry Chef at the renowned Hyde Park Hotel.

In 1980, with an increasing passion for chocolate and confectionary, Keith moved to Switzerland. Here he continued his practical training at some of the most influential kitchens in Europe.

During his time in Switzerland, Keith also trained in modelling and sculpture which helped him to further develop his artistic skills. Living abroad also helped him to become fluent in Swiss German and German as well as learning some French and Italian.

Keith’s determination soon paid off and in 1992 he won his first of many awards at international competitions, achieving a gold medal in the confectionery category at the World Culinary Exhibition in Basle. In the years to follow, Keith won a number of other awards including the International Belgian Chocolate Award and the highlight was in 2000 winning the ‘Truffe d’ Or’ as Champion Confectioner of Switzerland

Returning to England in late 2002, Keith joined the Bettys and Taylors Group in Harrogate where as Executive Confectioner he was responsible for confectionery and chocolate product development, including quality control and training and developing a team. Key highlights include developing various successful signature chocolate products, helping to increase revenue in all areas.

Keith then spent a short time working abroad, this time in Russia, where he worked training local staff in modern chocolate and confectionery techniques for Rocco Forte Hotels, and was a part of the successful opening team of Browns Hotel in Mayfair in 2005.

In 2006 Keith took on the role of master chocolatier at Melt Chocolates, in Notting Hill developing and producing contemporary chocolates to world class standards and within six weeks of joining Melt he obtained two gold awards at the 2007 World Chocolate Awards.

Recognised as a clear leader within the industry, Keith has demonstrated chocolate work in the UK, Switzerland, Belgium, Columbia, Dubai and South Africa. He also judges chocolate and confectionery work at events both in the UK and abroad including the World Chocolate Masters.

Keith Hurdman joined Thorntons as its Master Chocolatier on 1st September 2008 and since his arrival has won two further gold medals for his chocolate art, one at the Salon Culinaire at the British Open Culinary Championship and the second at the Scottish Culinary Championship, where he also won best in class. On the product front, Keith and his team have also scooped an array of awards for Thorntons Chocolate Block range.

In 2010 Thorntons won three medals at the Academy of Chocolate awards – one silver for its Venezuela milk chocolate with tonka bean and two bronzes for its Venezuela milk chocolate and its Dominican Republic dark chocolate with lightly salted macadamias. Just months later, the chocolatiers won two further awards at the Great Taste Awards, this time two golds for their Madagascar milk chocolate with strawberry and Madagascar milk chocolate with salted pistachios.

2011 is Thorntons 100 year anniversary and what better way to celebrate than with four more Academy of Chocolate awards. Not only did Keith and his team go one better than the previous year winning four Gold medals, three for Centenary chocolates – Raspberry & Rose, Crunchy Praline and Vanilla , and one for the Tonka Chocolate Block, but Keith was also named as Joint Chocolatier of the Year.

Outline of events

1976 Westminster College, London

1977 Exeter College, Exeter

1978 National Bakery School, London

1979 Westminster College, London

1985 Richemont Confectionery School, Lucerne, Switzerland

1989 International Sugar School Ewald Notter, Zurich, Switzerland

1992 World Culinary Exhibition, Basel, Switzerland, Gold Medalist Confectionary

1995 "Kantonales Amt für Berufsbildung", Zurich, Switzerland

1996 Technical Schools of Aarau and Winterthur, Switzerland
Swiss Culinary Exhibition, Lucerne Switzerland, Gold Medalist Chocolate & Sugar work

1998 Richemont Confectionery School, Lucerne, Switzerland

2000 Gold Medalist ‘Truffe d’Or’ Lausanne, Switzerland, Swiss Champion Confectioner/Chocolatier
Ecole Lenotre, Paris, France

2001 Ecole Bellouet, Paris, France

2002 Winner of International Chocolate Award in Brussels, Belgium
Ecole Valrhona, Tain l’Hermitage, France

2003 Leeds Bakery College, Leeds, England
World Chocolate Masters in Brussels, represented the UK

2004 Barry Callebaut, Brussels, Belgium

2007 Double Gold Medallist World Chocolate Awards London