The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Winners of the D.A.CH. (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and Eastern European Craft Chocolatier competitions, which were judged remotely in Spring 2023. 

Winners of these rounds will pass through to the World Final organized later in 2023.

This craft competition awards prizes for 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. Plain/origin and flavoured bean-to-bar products from all European chocolate makers were judged at the 2023 European, Middle Eastern and African Bean-to-Bar competition.

Craft Chocolatier Competitions

Starting with the 2021-22 season, we relaunched our filled chocolate competitions as “Craft Chocolatier Competitions”, with an increasing focus on cacao sourcing and traceability. With these ideals in mind, we have made the decision that, from the 2021-22 season onwards, all our chocolatier competitions will now be solely dedicated to dark and milk chocolate products made with cacao with an identifiable and traceable source. (Note: this rule does not currently apply to white chocolate or cocoa butter). This new approach reflects not only current trends in craft chocolate, but also our own founding philosophy and focus on fine cacao.

The International Chocolate Awards is an independent competition recognizing excellence in fine chocolate making and in the products made with fine chocolate.

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 filled chocolates, enrobed fruits and nuts and chocolate spreads, as well as flavoured bars (not bean-to-bar). All judging is anonymized, including at the Grand Jury final session, where Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes are awarded by private voting.

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

The 2023 D.A.CH. Craft Chocolatier Winners are:

(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)

Tablettes Aromatisées

Tablettes de chocolat noir avec inclusions ou morceaux

Tablettes de chocolat noir avec fourrage

Tablettes de chocolat au lait avec fourrage

Ganaches, palets, pralines avec ganache, truffes

Ganaches ou truffes de chocolat noir aromatisées

Ganaches ou truffes au chocolat au lait

Ganaches ou truffes utilisant du chocolat noir/au lait/blanc pour l’enrobage et la garniture

Fruits secs

Praliné au chocolat lait

Dragées/ fruits secs entiers enrobés au chocolat blanc

Praliné au chocolat lait …

Dragées/ fruits secs entiers enrobés au chocolat lait …

Autres – fruits / sucre / beurre / crème

Fruits entiers enrobés de chocolat noir

Pâte à tartiner

Pâtes à tartiner au chocolat noir (sans poudre de lait)

Pâtes à tartiner au chocolat au lait

(*)  Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.

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

The 2023 Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Winners are:

(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)

Ganaches, palets, pralines avec ganache, truffes

Ganaches ou truffes de chocolat noir aromatisées

Ganaches ou truffes utilisant du chocolat noir/au lait/blanc pour l’enrobage et la garniture

Fruits secs

Praliné au chocolat lait

Dragées/ fruits secs entiers enrobés au chocolat lait

Dragées/ fruits secs entiers enrobés au chocolat blanc

Praliné au chocolat lait …

Caramels

Caramels enrobés de chocolat noir

(*)  Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.

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