French – Benelux Chocolatier Competition, 2026

Location: Bordeaux, France
Closing date: 27 April 2026
Judging dates: 30 Apr 2026 – 1 May 2026

Eligible countries: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands

The French- Benelux 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.

The competition includes the following regional rounds:

• French Craft Chocolatier
• Benelux Craft Chocolatier

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

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

In-person judging in Bordeaux, France, 30 April – May 1 2026

This year judging will be in-person and include European judges and members of our international Grand Jury.

Winners’ Announcement Ceremony, 2 May in Bordeaux, France at Show/Colat Festival

Winners of the competition will be announced at a ceremony organized in Bordeaux, France at Show/Colat Festival 2026.
Please get in touch with us by email if you are interested in participating. More details coming soon.

Cacao sourcing and origin traceability

The International Chocolate Awards is 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.

As a result, all entrants must provide details of the cacao origin used in their dark and milk chocolate entries, including chocolatiers. These details are given confidentially if preferred. White chocolate and cocoa butter are currently excluded from these requirements, except for unflavoured white chocolate products.

By ‘origin,’ we mean a known region, area, district, or farm recognized as a source of fine cacao. If the origin is not a single farm or cooperative, entrants must specify the cacao sources within the origin. Blends are acceptable if they use no more than three different named origins, including cooperatives, post-harvest centres, commercial farmers, research stations, or individual farms. We do not accept entries where the only specified origin is the cacao-growing country, except for smaller cacao-producing countries (under 4,000 tonnes per year).

These rules apply to all chocolate used in competition entries, including filled chocolates, spreads, and drinking chocolate. Products made with commercial couverture chocolate without a stated cacao origin are not eligible to enter. Details of the origin must be obtained from the chocolate maker or supplier if the entrant is not the chocolate maker.

For full details, please refer to our competition rules.

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 countries: France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg.

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.