Professional

Canadian Bean-to-Bar and Craft Chocolatier Competition 2026 – Winners

The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Winners of the 2026 Canadian Bean-to-Bar and Craft Chocolatier competition, which was judged remotely during Spring 2026. This year was the first time that the Canadian competition was organised as a whole competition including all categories (except drinking chocolate) as part of our World Final series.

The Grand Jury Finalists are listed here.

Winners of this competition will pass through to the World Final organized in October-November 2026.

This craft competition awards prizes for plain/origin and flavoured bean-to-bar chocolate bars, as well as 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. 

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 plain/origin and flavoured bean-to-bar chocolate bars, flavoured bars made with traceable couverture, filled chocolates, enrobed fruits and nuts and chocolate spreads. All judging is anonymized, including at the Grand Jury final session, where Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes are awarded by private voting.

** Bean-to-bar chocolatier products – recognising the growing trend of filled chocolate made by chocolate makers, winning products made with an entrant’s own chocolate are marked with (**).

Awards are awarded only to entries that meet the required standard for each prize.

The 2026 Canadian Bean-to-Bar and Craft Chocolatier Competition Winners are:

Download PDF:

(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)


‚Best in competition‘ overall winners

Plain/origin dark bar categories

Gold: Qantu  (Canada) – Malingas 75% (90.5)

Flavoured bar categories

Gold: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – Strawberry White (90.2)

Pure / HerkunftsTafeln

Tafeln – Pur / Herkunft dunkel

Bronze: Hummingbird Chocolate Maker  (Canada) – Cap Haitien 70% (87.2) (**)

Bronze: Hummingbird Chocolate Maker  (Canada) – Hispaniola 70% (86.6) (**)

Micro-batch – Tafeln – Pur / Herkunft dunkel

Gold: Qantu  (Canada) – Malingas 75% (90.5) (**)

+ Gold: Direct Traded

+ Gold: Chocolate Maker

Silver: Qantu  (Canada) – Gran Blanco 70% (88.6) (**)

Silver: Common Ground Cacao  (Canada) – Maranon – Single origin 72% (88.5) (**)

Silver: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – 70% Nantou (88.3) (**)

Silver: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – 70% Costa Esmeraldas (88.0) (**)

Bronze: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – 70% Tuao (87.8) (**)

Bronze: DesBarres Chocolate  (Canada) – Ambanja 72% (87.6) (**)

Bronze: Palette de Bine  (Canada) – Kahalu’u Hawaii 70% (87.1) (**)

Bronze: Qantu  (Canada) – Chaska 70% (86.9) (**)

Bronze: DesBarres Chocolate  (Canada) – O’payo 72% (86.9) (**)

Bronze: Choco de Léa  (Canada) – O’tuma 70% (86.8) (**)

Bronze: DesBarres Chocolate  (Canada) – Maya Mountain 72 % (86.5) (**)

Tafeln – Pur / Herkunft dunkel 100 %

Silver: Spice Isle Craft Chocolate  (Canada) – 100% Classic Dark Chocolate (88.8) (**)

Micro-batch – Tafeln – Pur / Herkunft Milch

Silver: Qantu  (Canada) – Dark Milk 60% Oh La Vache! (88.5) (**)

Bronze: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – Goat’s Milk (86.8) (**)

Bronze: Black Jaguar Chocolate  (Canada) – Dark Milk (86.0) (**)

Bronze: Schoki Chocolate & Nelson’s Chocofellar  (Canada) – Madagascar 62% Buttermilk (85.6) (**)

Tafeln – Pur / Herkunft alternative Zuckerarten

Bronze: Etat de Choc  (Canada) – Érable (86.7) (**)

Tafeln – Pur / Herkunft mit anderen Theobromas

Bronze: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Chocolat Noir Jaguar 70% (85.5) (**)

Tafeln – Pur / Herkunft Weiss

Bronze: Etat de Choc  (Canada) – Blanc + Vanille (85.6) (**)


Tafeln mit Geschmackszusatz

Tafeln – mit Zusatz – eingerührte / untergemischte Zutaten – dunkel

Silver: DesBarres Chocolate  (Canada) – Black Pepper Cardamom 72% (87.3) (**)

Silver: The Organic House  (Canada) – Nature’s Candy – Soursop 70% (87.3) (**)

+ Special: Innovation

Silver: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – Single Malt (87.3) (**)

Bronze: Chachalate  (Canada) – Silver Tip Jasmine Tea (86.5) (**)

Bronze: The Organic House  (Canada) – Kumquat Dark Madagascar 70% (86.4) (**)

Bronze: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Chocolat Noir 70% Au Whisky (86.4) (**)

Bronze: DesBarres Chocolate  (Canada) – Only in Canada 72% (86.3) (**)

Bronze: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – Ocean Mysteries (85.9) (**)

+ Special: Modern

Bronze: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – Tanduay Rum (85.8) (**)

Tafeln – mit Zusatz – Einschlüsse / Stücke – dunkel

Silver: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – Forest & Sea (87.5) (**)

Silver: The Organic House  (Canada) – Rosemary Focaccia 65% Thailand (87.2) (**)

Silver: The Organic House  (Canada) – Cinnamon Bun 65% Thailand (87.0) (**)

Bronze: Chachalate  (Canada) – Golden Osmanthus (86.4) (**)

Tafeln – mit Zusatz – gefüllt – dunkel

Gold: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Barre Au Gianduja, Sarrasin Et Melilot (90.0) (**)

+ Special: Local ingredients

+ Special: Alternate theobromas

Silver: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Barre Au Gianduja (88.4) (**)

Silver: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Barre Au Gianduja Et Grué de Cacao (87.9) (**)

Silver: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Barre Au Gianduja Et Noisettes Entières (87.8) (**)

Tafeln – mit Zusatz – eingerührte / untergemischte Zutaten – Milchschokolade

Bronze: Qantu  (Canada) – Milk 55% Maple Moo…ments (86.7) (**)

Bronze: Common Ground Cacao  (Canada) – Mazamari Single Origin 53% (86.6) (**)

Bronze: Cocoaro Craft Chocolate  (Canada) – Strawberry Shiso (85.7) (**)

Tafeln – mit Zusatz – Einschlüsse / Stücke – Milchschokolade

Silver: Common Ground Cacao  (Canada) – Pineapple Habanero Coconut 54% (87.5) (**)

Tafeln – mit Zusatz – eingerührte / untergemischte Zutaten – weisse Schokolade

Gold: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – Strawberry White (90.2) (**)

+ Special: Local ingredients

+ Special: No-milk white chocolate

Silver: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – Raspberry White (89.0) (**)

Silver: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Chocolat Aux Framboises Et Citron (88.8) (**)

Silver: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – Durian White (87.4) (**)

Bronze: Kasama Chocolate  (Canada) – Calamansi White Chocolate (85.8) (**)

Tafeln – mit Zusatz – Einschlüsse / Stücke – weisse Schokolade

Bronze: Common Ground Cacao  (Canada) – Caramel Vanilla Creme Brulee (86.4) (**)


Ganache, Taler, Ganache Pralinen, Trüffel

Gefüllte Pralinen – Milch mit und ohne Zusatz – Ganaches und Trüffel

Silver: Mellis Chocolate  (Canada) – Passion Fruit (87.1)

Bronze: Monde du Chocolat  (Canada) – Lychee Osmanthus (86.5)

Gefüllte Pralinen – Weisse Schokolade mit und ohne Zusatz – Ganaches und Trüffel

Bronze: Monde du Chocolat  (Canada) – Guava Camellia Oolong (86.7)

Bronze: Mellis Chocolate  (Canada) – Apricot Osmanthus (86.4)

Bronze: Mellis Chocolate  (Canada) – Grapefruit Geranium (85.7)

Gefüllte Pralinen – gemischte Schokoladen Ummantelung / Füllung mit und ohne Zusatz – Ganaches und Trüffel

Bronze: Guild Chocolates  (Canada) – Aroma: White Cedar (86.9)

+ Special: Innovation


Nüsse

Gefüllte Pralinen – Milch (mit und ohne Zusatz) – Nuss Pralinen …

Silver: The Jewelled Cocoa Bean  (Canada) – Salted Caramel Pecan Bonbon (87.9)


Karamellpralinen

Combination chocolate enrobed caramels

Bronze: Guild Chocolates  (Canada) – Revolution: Lemon + Black Currant (86.1)


Aufstriche

Aufstriche mit dunkler Schokolade (ohne Milchpulver)

Gold: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Tartinade Sarrasin / Buckwheat spread (90.0) (**)

+ Special: Local ingredients

+ Special: Gastronomic

Silver: Allo Simonne  (Canada) – Tartinade Chocolat Jaguar / Spread (89.4) (**)


(*)  Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.

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