The Indian Craft Chocolate Competition honors a defining moment in India’s chocolate journey, recognizing work that reflects the skill, integrity, and a strong sense of place for Indian makers, as Indian cacao and chocolate begin to earn global attention.
The first national competition for India creates a space for meaningful recognition and strengthens the Indian craft chocolate community, inspires conscious production, and will help to position Indian chocolate with confidence on the world stage.
Judges
This competition was judged remotely to include a wide range of judges from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, and members of our international Grand Jury.Â
Winners were selected by the Grand Jury after the main round of judging from the Grand Jury Finalists. While listing as a Grand Jury Finalist is an achievement in itself, it does not necessarily indicate that the entry will receive a prize.
All judging was anonymised, included at the Grand Jury final session, where Golds, Silver and Bronze prizes were awarded by private voting according to the Grand Jury rules.
All winners in this competition are eligible to enter the World Final in October/November 2026.
The awards ceremony and celebration for this Indian competition will be held at the Indian Cacao and Craft Chocolate Festival in Bangalore, India in December 2026. Ceremony details will be available soon.
Prizes
The winners of the 2026 Indian Craft Chocolate Competition are:
(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)
Plain/origin bars
Plain/origin dark chocolate bars
Bronze: Paul And Mike (India) – 72% Dark Chocolate (Yellow Fermentation) (86.5) (**)
Micro-batch – Plain/origin dark chocolate bars
Bronze: Savorworks Roasters (India) – 72% Dark Chocolate (87.7) (**)
Bronze: Manam Chocolate (India) – Origin Tablet No.7 (86.7) (**)
High % plain/origin dark chocolate bars (85% and over)
Gold: Savorworks Roasters (India) – 85% Dark Chocolate (89.1) (**)
+ Gold: Direct Traded
Bronze: Anuttama (India) – Ultimate 99% Dark (87.5) (**)
Bronze: Paul And Mike (India) – 99% Dark Chocolate (86.7) (**)
Plain/origin chocolate bars with milk replacements
Bronze: Anuttama (India) – Bella Tharai (85.5) (**)
Plain/origin white chocolate bars
Bronze: Manam Chocolate (India) – Origin Tablet No.9 (86.7) (**)
Flavoured bars
Dark chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Silver: Savorworks Roasters (India) – 72% Dark Chocolate – Gin & Tonic (88.0) (**)
Dark chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Silver: Anuttama (India) – Coconut Crunch (88.7) (**)
Bronze: PASCATI, artisan chocolate (India) – Mango Dark (86.3) (**)
Bronze: Baker’s Artisanal Recipes (India) – The Buzzz..ed Bar (dark 60% W/nibs) (85.5) (**)
Milk chocolate bars with an infusion or flavouring
Silver: Manam Chocolate (India) – Origin Tablet No.1 (88.3) (**)
Bronze: Chitra’m Craft Chocolates (India) – Mango Lassi ( Dark Milk Chocolate ) (85.6) (**)
Milk chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Silver: Paul And Mike (India) – Pistachios & Idukki Cardamom Chocolate (87.5) (**)
+ Special: Ingredients
Bronze: Manam Chocolate (India) – Chai Biscuit (86.5) (**)
White chocolate bars with inclusions or pieces
Gold: Chitra’m Craft Chocolates (India) – Sugarless Masala Buttermilk ( Chaas ) (89.9) (**)
+ Special: Innovation
Silver: Chitra’m Craft Chocolates (India) – Pineapple & Mulligatawny (Pepper Rasam) (87.8) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Bronze: Subko Cacao (India) – The Flat White Bar (85.9) (**)
Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines and truffles
Flavoured milk chocolate ganaches or truffles
Gold: Paul And Mike (India) – Masala Chai Bonbon (89.5) (**)
+ Special: Ingredients
Nuts
Nut based pralines with milk chocolate
Bronze: Manam Chocolate (India) – Cashew Praline Clusters (86.0) (**)
Bronze: Manam Chocolate (India) – Almond Praline Cluster (85.5) (**)
Milk chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Gold: Manam Chocolate (India) – Malted Cacao Bean Dragees (88.9) (**)
+ Special: Recipe
White chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Silver: Savorworks Roasters (India) – CashewNut Tom Kha Dragee (87.5) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
Combination chocolate dragées, enrobed whole nuts
Bronze: Manam Chocolate (India) – Double Chocolate Hazelnut Dragees (85.8) (**)
Others – fruit/sugar/butter/cream/misc
Milk chocolate enrobed whole fruit
Gold: Paul And Mike (India) – Milk Chocolate Coated Salted Capers (90.9) (**)
+ Special: Gastronomic
+ Special: Ingredients
White chocolate enrobed whole fruit
Bronze: Manam Chocolate (India) – Toasted Sesame & Yogurt Blueberry Dragee (86.3) (**)
Ingredients from cacao
Cocoa Powder
Silver: PASCATI, artisan chocolate (India) – Cacao Powder (88.0) (**)
+ Gold: Organic
(*) Â Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.
