British Craft Chocolatier Competition, 2023

Location: London, United Kingdom
Closing date: 22 September 2023
Judging dates: 1 Sep 2023 – 1 Oct 2023

Eligible countries: Ireland, United Kingdom

COMPETITION ARCHIVED.

Celebrating the best in locally produced British chocolates, the British competition is the UK’s only chocolate awards dedicated purely to chocolatier products made in the UK by British chocolate companies. The competition is also open to chocolatiers and chocolate companies in the Republic of Ireland.

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 will 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. Details of the origin must be obtained from the chocolate maker or supplier if you are not the chocolate maker.

If you do not make your own chocolate, you will also need to supply a 50g sample of the chocolate you are using for your products, in case there is a Grand Jury query about the origin.

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.

Remote judging for all products

Judging for this competition will be by remote judging. Entries will then be repacked as blinded samples and sent to our panel of judges and members of our international Grand Jury to judge at home using our online judging system. Reference sets of each submission will be held at the receiving venue in case of any issue with the samples sent to judges and products will be blinded as usual.

Bean-to-bar chocolate makers of plain/origin and flavored bars were already judged at the 2023 European Bean-to-Bar Competition, which took place in March 2023 in Italy.

Winners of this competition will pass through to the World Final, which will be held closely after the regional semi-finals in October – November 2023 in Florence, Italy.

Eligibility

This competition is open to all companies with their main base or head office in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland for all filled chocolates, covered nuts and fruits and spreads made from bean-to-bar and couverture chocolate and for flavoured bars made from couverture, where the entrant is not the chocolate maker.

NOTE: If you also submitted plain/origin or flavoured bean-to-bar bars to the European, Middle Eastern and African Bean-to-Bar Competition, you will not be charged an admission fee for the British Chocolatier Competition.

This is a Chocolatier competition for all categories EXCEPT for Plain/origin and Flavoured dark, milk and white bars made by Bean-to-Bar chocolate makers. These products are judged at the regional Bean-to-Bar competition, held in: Italy.

The admission fee for this competition is GBP £50 and the fee for each entry is GBP £45. Prices will be converted into local currency by your credit card company, if required.