Professional

Judges – World Craft Drinking Chocolate Competition 2026

As part of our commitment to transparency, we publish the names of the judges for each competition. (If judges opt-in for their names to be made public.)

Each competition is judged by a panel of experts, food journalists, sommeliers and pastry chefs, including the names listed below. The competition is overseen by members of our international Grand Jury, who travel to each competition.

We would like to thank our judges for their hard work, including any who chose for their names not to be listed. You can find the full list of winners for this competition in our ‘Rounds & results’ section.


Alessandro Banchetti (Italy), Impiegato azienda energetica – Chocolate taster 1 & 2 livello

Sandro Bosticco (Italy), www.winesurf.it

Martin Christy (United Kingdom), Seventy%, Permanent Grand Jury

Kathryn Laverack (United Kingdom), Cocoa Encounters, Cocoa Encounters

Stefania Luppino (Italy), Chocolate Taster

Monica Meschini (Italy), Chocolate/Tea Taster, Wine Sommelier, Permanent Grand Jury

Liudmila Musatova (Italy), Food stylist, https://milamusatova.com/

Cinzia Otri (Italy), Gelateria della Passera

Alex Rast (United Kingdom), Consultant, Reviewer, Seventy% , Permanent Grand Jury

Juan Rubio Eguiluz (Spain), Wikichoco