The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Winners of the Scandinavian, French and British Craft Chocolatier competitions, which were judged remotely in September-October 2023.
Winners of these rounds will pass through to the World Final organized in October-November 2023.
This craft competition awards prizes for craft chocolatier products including filled chocolates/bonbons, pralines, enrobed fruits and nuts and chocolate spreads made with bean-to-bar chocolate as well as flavoured bars made with couverture. Plain/origin and flavoured bean-to-bar products from Scandinavian, French and British chocolate makers were judged at the 2023 European, Middle Eastern and African Bean-to-Bar and Craft Chocolatier Competition.
Origin traceability
We are committed to supporting economically, socially and environmentally sustainable cacao farming where farmers are paid a reasonable price that reflects the work that goes into growing fine cacao. We also believe that the chocolate with the best flavor profiles comes from directly sourced fine cacao.
From 2021-22 onwards, we ask every entrant for the origin of cacao used for the dark and milk chocolate in their entries, including chocolatiers. These details are given confidentially when entering. White chocolate and cocoa butter are currently excluded from these rules.
By ‘origin’ we mean a known region, area, district, or farm recognized as a source of fine cacao. We will also limit the number of sources that can be used for an origin to no more than three different cooperatives, commercial farmers, post-harvest centers, individual farmers, research stations or other single sources. Blends are acceptable if they use no more than three different named origins.
We won’t accept origins defined only as the name of the cacao growing country, except for smaller cacao countries producing less than 4000 tonnes of cacao per year.
These rules apply to all chocolate used in filled chocolate and spreads, including commercial couverture.
We believe that these rules will help to promote the spirit and ideal of craft chocolate and to help the development of good chocolate and cacao.
Judges
The judges were drawn from local experts, food journalists, our IICCT Alumni and members of our permanent international Grand Jury.
Prizes
The categories judged included filled chocolates, enrobed fruits and nuts and chocolate spreads, as well as flavoured bars (not bean-to-bar). All judging is anonymized, including at the Grand Jury final session, where Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes are awarded by private voting.
Awards are awarded only to entries that meet the required standard for each prize.
The 2023 Scandinavian Craft Chocolatier Winners are:
(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)
Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles
Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Gold: PetriS Chocolate (Finland) – Northern Night (88.8)
Silver: Eventyr Håndverkssjokolade (Norway) – Eventyr Perigot trøffel – Truffle (86.2)
Flavoured milk chocolate ganaches or truffles
Gold: Chocolatte (Sweden) – Orange/fennel (88.4)
+ Special: Ingredients
Silver: Chocolatte (Sweden) – Maori punk-spicy Amaretto/bergamott (86.9)
Bronze: PetriS Chocolate (Finland) – Valencia (85.2)
Flavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling
Gold: Jentene på Tunet – Chocolatier (Norway) – MangoTango (88.8)
+ Special: Recipe
Silver: Eventyr Håndverkssjokolade (Norway) – Willy Wonka – Trøffel og steinsopp (88.5)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Silver: Gånsviks Choklad (Sweden) – Magnus (87.2)
Silver: Friis-Holm Chokolade (Denmark) – Solbærstang – Ice cream memories (86.3) (**)
Bronze: Jentene på Tunet – Chocolatier (Norway) – Lakris & Granateple (85.3)
Bronze: Jentene på Tunet – Chocolatier (Norway) – Blåbærflyt (85.2)
Bronze: PetriS Chocolate (Finland) – Lingonberry-Raspberry Pralin (84.9)
Nuts
Dark chocolate enrobed marzipan
Silver: Friis-Holm Chokolade (Denmark) – Klassisk Marcipan (86.5) (**)
+ Special: Classic
Nut based pralines with milk chocolate
Gold: Jentene på Tunet – Chocolatier (Norway) – Hasselknas (88.1)
+ Special: Classic
Silver: Jentene på Tunet – Chocolatier (Norway) – Peanøttdrøm (87.1)
Bronze: Jentene på Tunet – Chocolatier (Norway) – Pistasjkrønsj (85.9)
Nut based pralines with combination chocolate
Bronze: PetriS Chocolate (Finland) – Seabukthorne-honey caramel Pralin (85.2)
Others – fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc
Dark chocolate enrobed whole fruit
Gold: Friis-Holm Chokolade (Denmark) – Frederiksdal Cherry (90.1) (**)
+ Special: Reinterpretation
(*) Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.
The 2023 French Craft Chocolatier Winners are:
(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)
Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles
Unflavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Silver: Ara Chocolat (France) – Ganache au chocolat Grand Cru Venezuela (87.1) (**)
Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Gold: Ara Chocolat (France) – Ganache a l’huile d’olive Tanche de Nyon (88.4) (**)
+ Special: Ingredients
+ Special: Craft
Silver: Ara Chocolat (France) – Ganache aux olives Tanche de Nyons (86.1) (**)
Bronze: Ara Chocolat (France) – Ganache au Thé Oolong Voie Lactée (84.8) (**)
Nuts
Nut based pralines with milk chocolate
Bronze: Ô gourmandises d’Alice (France) – Praliné aux épices (85.6)
Bronze: Ô gourmandises d’Alice (France) – Praliné graine de courge (85.0)
(*) Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.
The 2023 British Craft Chocolatier Winners are:
(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)
Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles
Unflavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Gold: Highland Chocolatier (United Kingdom) – The Velvet Truffle – Dark (89.8)
+ Special: Classic
+ Special: Naked
Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Gold: Highland Chocolatier (United Kingdom) – Raspberry & Black Pepper Velvet Truffle (88.3)
+ Special: Ingredients
Silver: Highland Chocolatier (United Kingdom) – The Velvet Truffle – Espresso Mocha (87.3)
Silver: Highland Chocolatier (United Kingdom) – The Velvet Truffle – Rose (86.9)
Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles
Silver: Highland Chocolatier (United Kingdom) – Velvet Truffle – White Lime & Chilli (86.4)
Bronze: Highland Chocolatier (United Kingdom) – Velvet Truffle – Caramel & Liquorice (85.8)
Bronze: Highland Chocolatier (United Kingdom) – Velvet Truffle – Passion Fruit & Mango (85.5)
Nuts
White chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Bronze: Solkiki Chocolatemaker (United Kingdom) – Roasted Tuono – Cranachan 42 – Dragee (84.5) (**)
Others – fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc
Milk chocolate enrobed fruit pastes, jellies/gelée
Silver: Solkiki Chocolatemaker (United Kingdom) – Dorset Apple pâte de fruits -63- Dragee (86.4) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Spreads
Spreads with dark chocolate (no milk powder)
Bronze: Solkiki Chocolatemaker (United Kingdom) – Piedmont Hazelnut & Chuncho Spread (85.1) (**)
(*) Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.
