TALENT
Here’s a sneak peek at two of our national and international guests. Stay tuned for more of our selected chefs and participants to be revealed soon.
About Håkan Mårtensson
Håkan Mårtensson is a Swedish-born chocolatier and sculptor based in Beacon, New York, where he runs his own chocolate atelier and storefront, HÅKAN Chocolatier. His work merges fine chocolate craftsmanship with large-scale, mythical sculptures, often featuring dragons, trolls, and other fantastical creatures that feel like they’ve stepped out of a story.
He began his culinary journey in Sweden, enrolling in pastry and culinary training as a teenager, and later joining the Swedish National Culinary Team as a chocolate sculptor. With the team, he brought home gold medals from major international competitions such as the World Cup in Luxembourg and the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt. Over the years, he has also earned multiple medals for his bonbons, highlighting both technical precision and bold, imaginative flavors.
Håkan’s move from Sweden to New York City and eventually to Beacon is part of the story told in a recent documentary, which follows his journey of building HÅKAN Chocolatier, navigating the challenges of starting a business amid a changing world, and balancing family life with artistic ambition. In Beacon, he has become a local fixture, crafting chocolates in view of guests and creating experiences where the kitchen feels like both a workshop and a stage.
Through projects like The HÅKAN Experience, he continues to push what chocolate can be—using it as a medium for storytelling, performance, and deeply sensory, memorable experiences that invite people into his world of dragons, spirits, and sweet alchemy.
Håkan will be conducting a live sculpting experience during the festival and will also be hosting The Chocolate Theatre, a dynamic, theatrical chocolate tasting during the festival. Details can be found on the Events page.
About Damien Wager
Damien Wager is a self-taught pastry chef, who over the past few years has risen to the top of the U.K. Pastry Chef rankings due to his numerous exploits & achievements. He is now the owner of Pastry Academy UK, Europe’s fastest growing Pastry School.
Damien's social media following has no doubt had a positive effect and been a driving factor in his success. Numerous articles and features in top magazines such as ‘Chef’, ‘Olive’ & ‘House of Coco’, as well as being nominated for 'Young Chef of the Year' at the 2018 Restaurant Awards in a category brimming with talent, have certainly propelled him onto the radars of many chefs and critics.
After releasing his first book, ‘Edible Art’ in 2019, Damien went on to release two further publications - ‘Breaking the Mould’ & ‘Cocoa’, all three of which have sold worldwide.
Damien opened his first flagship patisserie under the Edible Art banner in Cheltenham - with his second shop swiftly following, situated in the city of Bath, which opened on September 18th 2021. He later agreed a deal with the internationally known brand ‘Harvey Nichols’ that led to the opening of concessions across regional stores. In autumn 2024, Edible Art Patisserie Limited, closed as Damien transitioned to his next project, Pastry Academy UK, based in Cheltenham.
Damien travels around the world showcasing his talent, with masterclasses far and wide. He loves to travel and return home with new flavours and ideas he can transform into signature patisserie items, and share with his fans. Pastry Academy UK was born from the idea that there were no venues, like those that Damien travels to, in the UK for him to hold classes at home - so he created his own venue. In the first 12 months of operating, Pastry Academy UK welcomed some of the biggest names in the pastry world, from Antonio Bachour to Oldman Teh, with Frank Haasnoot and Miquel Guarro on the programme too, as well as Damien running long-term Diploma programmes and short 3 day classes.