The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Winners of the Canadian Craft Chocolatier competition, which was 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 Canadian chocolate makers were judged at the 2023 Americas 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 Canadian Craft Chocolatier Winners are:

(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)

Flavoured bars

Dark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Gold: Etat de Choc  (Canada) – Barre Pistache (89.3)

+ Special: Alternate sugars

Silver: Etat de Choc  (Canada) – Érable, Miso & Riz (86.4)

White chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Silver: BETA5 Chocolates  (Canada) – Gingerbread Stroopwafel (86.5)

Silver: BETA5 Chocolates  (Canada) – Technicolour Crunch (86.5)

Bronze: Hailed Coffee  (Canada) – Cardamaella Almond (85.4)

Bronze: Hailed Coffee  (Canada) – Cardamaella Coffee (85.0)

Bronze: Hailed Coffee  (Canada) – Cardamaella (84.9)

Combination chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces

Silver: BETA5 Chocolates  (Canada) – Kimchi Fried Rice (87.8)

Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles

Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles

Bronze: McGuire Chocolate Company  (Canada) – Single Origin Dark: Bejofo (84.5) (**)

Flavoured milk chocolate ganaches or truffles

Bronze: Mellis Chocolate  (Canada) – Cacao Fruit (85.1)

Flavoured white chocolate ganaches or truffles

Gold: Mellis Chocolate  (Canada) – Buckthorn Vanilla (93.0)

Silver: Guild Chocolates  (Canada) – Haskap, Strawberry, Goat Cheese (86.0)

+ Special: Local ingredients

Flavoured ganaches or truffles with combination coating or filling

Gold: McGuire Chocolate Company  (Canada) – Cafe Latte (88.2) (**)

+ Special: Classic

+ Special: Chocolate Maker

Silver: White Pine Chocolates  (Canada) – Saffron Ginger Pear (86.4)

Bronze: BETA5 Chocolates  (Canada) – Gingerbread Caramel (85.1)

Nuts

Nut based pralines with milk chocolate

Gold: Mellis Chocolate  (Canada) – Ume White Sesame (89.9)

+ Special: Innovation

+ Special: Vegan

Nut based pralines with combination chocolate

Gold: Mellis Chocolate  (Canada) – Maple Pine Nut (91.4)

+ Special: Recipe

Caramels

Dark chocolate enrobed caramels

Silver: Hummingbird Chocolate Maker  (Canada) – Orange honey spice caramel (87.8) (**)

+ Special: Chocolate Maker

Combination chocolate enrobed caramels

Gold: Guild Chocolates  (Canada) – Revolution: Earl Grey (88.3)

Silver: Guild Chocolates  (Canada) – Revolution: Coffee (86.4)

Bronze: Guild Chocolates  (Canada) – Revolution: Passion Praline (85.9)

Others – fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc

Combination enrobed fruit pastes, jellies/gelée

Gold: Mellis Chocolate  (Canada) – Pineapple Tatin (90.2)

Spreads

Spreads with dark chocolate (no milk powder)

Gold: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Tartinade Chocolat noir & Sarrasin (89.4)

Silver: Etat de Choc  (Canada) – Tartinade Superstar Noisette (87.1)

Silver: Onoa  (Canada) – Noazète dark chocolate (87.1) (**)

Silver: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Tartinade Noisette & Chocolat Jaguar (86.6) (**)

White spreads

Spreads with white chocolate

Silver: Onoa  (Canada) – Noazète white chocolate (86.2) (**)

(*)  Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.

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