Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Competition, 2026

Location: Vienna, Austria
Closing date: 18 January 2026
Judging dates: 22 Jan 2026 – 23 Jan 2026

Eligible countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

The Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Competition celebrates the craft of chocolatiers and chocolate companies who create filled chocolates, truffles, ganaches, pralines, caramels, fondants, enrobed fruits and nuts and spreads made from chocolate couverture or from their own bean-to-bar chocolate. The competition also includes flavoured chocolate bars made from purchased chocolate couverture.

Winners of the competition will pass through to the World Final, which will be held in November 2026.

Bean-to-bar chocolate origin and flavored bars are eligible for the 2026 European Bean-to-bar competition, which will be held in Romania in March/April 2026.

In Person Judging in Vienna, January 22-23, 2026

We’re pleased to announce a new partnership with Schokoladefest Vienna to host our DACH and Eastern European Craft Chocolatier competitions, which will be judged by our selected European judges and members of our international Grand Jury. We will announce winners on Saturday, 24 January, live at the festival.

Winner’s Announcement at Schokoladefest Vienna – Call for Exhibitors

Winners of this competition will be announced live at the Schokoladefest in Vienna on Saturday, 24 January at 5PM.

In collaboration with the Schokoladefest Vienna, the IICCT and the International Chocolate Awards will be exhibiting and promoting craft chocolate at the Craft Chocolate Zone within the Festival. It is a great opportunity for craft chocolate makers to connect with an international audience. Get in touch with us by email if you would like to exhibit at the festival at a discounted rate.

Cacao sourcing and origin traceability

The International Chocolate Awards is committed to full traceability and the use of origin cacao sourced from cacao growers directly by the chocolate maker, or through a cacao trader with full transparency. We believe that this provides the most sustainable type of cacao production and makes the best tasting chocolate.

We will require full details of the origin and cacao sources used when you enter your products. These can be given confidentially if preferred. Details of the origin must be obtained from the chocolate maker or supplier if you did not make the chocolate yourself.

‘Origin’ means a known region, area, district, or farm recognised as a source of fine cacao, or a smaller cacao country producing less than 4000 tonnes of cacao per year. If the origin is not a specific farm or cooperative, you will need to give details of the cacao sources within the origin. You can read our rules for full details.

Products made with commercial couverture chocolate with no stated cacao origin are not eligible for this competition. The rules also apply to cocoa powder used in drinking chocolate. White chocolate and cocoa butter are currently excluded from the origin rules, except for unflavoured white chocolate products.

Judging scores and flavor profiles

All entries will receive comprehensive feedback from our judging system, including the overall product score and standardised feedback statements for all products. We use our advanced interactive evaluation system for judging, which is based on the IICCT flavor profiling system. Scores are weighted to align with specialty coffee scores. Scores will be published on our website for all Grand Jury Finalists and Winners.

Eligibility

This competition judges flavoured and filled bars made from chocolate couverture (not bean-to-bar) and truffles, ganaches, pralines, caramels, fondants, enrobed fruits and nuts, and spreads made from chocolate couverture OR bean-to-bar chocolate.

The competition is open to all companies with their main base or head office in the following Eastern European Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

All chocolate used in all entries in this competition must be made from cacao with a declared and traceable source. Details of the source must be provided when entering each product and will remain confidential. For products made with couverture, details must be obtained from the chocolate maker.

Restaurants, hotels, and chefs may enter provided their products follow the normal rules of the International Chocolate Awards and are available to consumers as part of a hospitality service.

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: Romania.

The admission fee for this competition is EUR €75 and the fee for each entry is EUR €70. Prices will be converted into local currency by your credit card company, if required.