The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Winners of the 2026 British Craft Chocolate Competition, which was judged remotely during April 2026.
This was our third competition entirely devoted to British craft chocolate makers working from bean-to-bar and to chocolatiers using origin traceable chocolate. The competition celebrates British chocolate artisans who respect the flavour, origin and sourcing of the cacao in their chocolate. The competition included all categories of products from plain and flavoured bars to filled chocolates and ganaches, plus craft cocoa powder and cocoa butter.
The winners were announced live at the Show/Colat Festival in Bordeaux, France on Saturday, 2nd May at 16:00 by our co-founders Monica Meschini and Martin Christy.
Winners will go directly to the International Chocolate Awards 2026 World Final.
Judges
The judging panel for this competition included judges from the UK, Italy and France, along with some of our IICCT alumni, other specialists from the local area and members of our international Grand Jury panel.
All judging was anonymised, included at the Grand Jury final session, where Golds, Silver and Bronze prizes were awarded by private voting according to the Grand Jury rules.
All Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in this competition are eligible to enter the World Final later in 2026.
Prizes
The winners of the 2026 British Craft Chocolate Competition are:
(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)
Plain/origin bars
Micro-batch - Plain/origin dark chocolate bars
Gold: Duffy's (United Kingdom) - Nicaragua Amarillo 72% (89.8) (**)
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
Silver: Duffy's (United Kingdom) - Honduras Indio Rojo 72% (88.4) (**)
High % plain/origin dark chocolate bars (85% and over)
Gold: Mayoy cacao (United Kingdom) - Canoabo 85% Cacao (89.0) (**)
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
100 % plain/origin dark chocolate bars
Gold: Mayoy cacao (United Kingdom) - Chuao 100% Cacao (89.5) (**)
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
Micro-batch - Plain/origin milk chocolate bars
Gold: Duffy's (United Kingdom) - Nicaragua Oh Juno 45% milk (89.2) (**)
+ Gold: Chocolate Maker
Silver: Chocolate Tree (United Kingdom) - Peru Selva Dark Milk 60% (88.2) (**)
+ Gold: Organic
+ Gold: Direct Traded
Bronze: Dormouse Chocolates (United Kingdom) - 55% Milk Hacienda La Carrera (86.1) (**)
Bronze: Good Cocoa Bean (United Kingdom) - 50% Dark Milk (85.8) (**)
Bronze: Pump Street Chocolate (United Kingdom) - Haiti 60% Dark Milk Chocolate Bar (85.6) (**)
Plain/origin chocolate bars with alternative sugars
Bronze: Cococaravan (United Kingdom) - 75 % Guayaquil - Hacienda Victoria (86.5) (**)
Plain/origin chocolate bars with milk replacements
Silver: Solkiki Chocolatemaker (United Kingdom) - Esmeraldas Cashew Milk 53 (88.7) (**)
Flavoured bars
Dark chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Gold: Explore Chocolate (United Kingdom) - Mexico 70% — Virgin Oak (Lindores Abbey) (89.8) (**)
+ Special: Local ingredients
Silver: Explore Chocolate (United Kingdom) - Belize 70% Dark Chocolate — Caol Ila 17 (87.6) (**)
Dark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Bronze: Dormouse Chocolates (United Kingdom) - Hacienda La Carrera Dark with Sourdough (86.1) (**)
Milk chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Gold: Chocolate Tree (United Kingdom) - Nordic Berries Milk 50% (90.0) (**)
+ Special: Organic
Silver: Pump Street Chocolate (United Kingdom) - Madagascar & Sea Salt 55% Milk Bar (88.7) (**)
Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles
Unflavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Silver: Highland Chocolatier (United Kingdom) - The Velvet Truffle – Dark (87.4)
Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Gold: Highland Chocolatier (United Kingdom) - The Velvet Truffle – Dark Ginger (89.5)
+ Special: Naked
Flavoured milk chocolate ganaches or truffles
Bronze: Terroir Artisanal Chocolates Ltd (United Kingdom) - Tonka Bean, Puxuri & Amburana (86.6)
Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles
Silver: Highland Chocolatier (United Kingdom) - Raspberry & Heather Honey Velvet Truffle (87.7)
Flavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling
Bronze: Terroir Artisanal Chocolates Ltd (United Kingdom) - Honey & Black Sesame (86.0)
Nuts
Milk chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Gold: Cococaravan (United Kingdom) - Chocolate Tamari Almonds (90.0) (**)
+ Special: Alternate vegan milk
(*) Â Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.
