The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Grand Jury Finalist entrants of the 2026Â DACH and Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Competitions, which were judged in-person from 22-23 January 2026 in Vienna, Austria as part of the Schokoladefestival. These competitions judged the craft chocolatier entries from Germany, Austria and Switzerland and countries of Eastern Europe with the help of our local partner and judge Lilla Toth-Tatai from Taste.Better.Chocolate in Vienna, Austria.
The judging panel included our regular judges, along with many of our IICCT alumni and other specialists from the local area and members of our international Grand Jury panel.
The Grand Jury Finalists are the entries that made it through to the final Grand Jury round, following an initial technical Selection round and a main round of judging. The Finalists are the nominations from which the Grand Jury select the prize winners, through private voting.
While listing as a Grand Jury Finalist is an achievement in itself, it does not necessarily indicate that the entry will receive a prize.
The 2026 DACH Craft Chocolatier Competition Grand Jury Finalists are:
(In alphabetical order within each category)
Flavoured bars
White chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Chocolate Vision (Germany) - Houjicha (86.53)Combination chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Trüffel Güse Hannover (Germany) - Best Taste Ever (86.28)Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles
Flavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Nobile AG (Switzerland) - Kantons Praline Fribourg (82.38)Nuts
Dark chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
AHERZ (Austria) - Tonka Mandel Dragee VEGAN (84.55)Milk chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
AHERZ (Austria) - Weisse Zimt Mandel Dragees (83.55)Spreads
Spreads with dark chocolate (no milk powder)
AHERZ (Austria) - Piemont Haselnusscreme 63% Nuss (82.43)The 2026 Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Competition Grand Jury Finalists are:
(In alphabetical order within each category)
Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles
Unflavoured dark chocolate ganaches or truffles
Maria Magdalena Bizgan (Romania) - Ecuador Dark Chocolate Water Ganache (87.73)Nuts
Dark chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
chocoMe (Hungary) - Piemonte hazelnut, salted dark gianduja (86.70)Nut based pralines with milk chocolate
Maria Magdalena Bizgan (Romania) - Walnut Whipped Praline (85.73)|||
