We are happy to announce the chocolatiers who have triumphed in the D.A.CH and Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Competitions this year. The two regional competitions were judged in a hybrid way, partly remotely and partly in person in Hannover (D.A.CH) and in Bucharest (Eastern European) in May 2024. 

The competitions served as a platform to showcase the entrants’ passion, creativity, and dedication to the craft of chocolate-making.

The winners of these Craft Chocolatier Competitions will advance to the highly anticipated World Final, scheduled for later in 2024. 

Once again, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners of the D.A.CH and Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Competitions. Your creativity, passion, and commitment to excellence have elevated the craft of chocolate-making, and we eagerly anticipate witnessing your continued success on the global stage.

Traceability

Continuing our efforts to make the Awards more transparent, we keep emphasizing the importance of working with traceable cacao across the whole of the competitions. Our filled chocolate competitions, now called “Craft Chocolatier Competitions”, demonstrate an increasing focus on cacao sourcing and traceability. This new traceability policy reflects not only current trends in craft chocolate, but also our own founding philosophy and focus on fine cacao.

Judging and prizes

The judges were drawn from IICCT alumni, local experts and members of our permanent international Grand Jury.

The categories judged included flavoured chocolate bars, filled chocolates, enrobed fruits and nuts and chocolate spreads, as well as flavoured bars (not bean-to-bar) and are based on yearly feedback from our entrants and in consultation with the fine chocolate industry. All judging is anonymised, including at the Grand Jury final session, where Golds, Silver and Bronze prizes are awarded by private voting according to the Grand Jury rules.

Prizes are awarded only to entries that meet the required standard for each prize.

2024 D.A.CH Craft Chocolatier Competition Winners are:

(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)

Flavoured bars

Dark chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring

Dark chocolate bars with a filling

Milk chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles

Unflavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles

Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles

Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles

Flavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling

Nuts

Dark chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts

Caramels

Combination chocolate enrobed caramels

(*)  Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.

(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.

2024 Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Competition Winners are:

(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)

Flavoured bars

Dark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

White chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles

Flavoured milk chocolate ganaches or truffles

Nuts

Nut based pralines with milk chocolate

Spreads

Spreads with milk chocolate

(*)  Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.

(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.