We are happy to announce the chocolatiers who have triumphed in the D.A.CH and Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Competitions this year. The two regional competitions were judged in a hybrid way, partly remotely and partly in person in Hannover (D.A.CH) and in Bucharest (Eastern European) in May 2024.
The competitions served as a platform to showcase the entrants’ passion, creativity, and dedication to the craft of chocolate-making.
The winners of these Craft Chocolatier Competitions will advance to the highly anticipated World Final, scheduled for later in 2024.
Once again, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners of the D.A.CH and Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Competitions. Your creativity, passion, and commitment to excellence have elevated the craft of chocolate-making, and we eagerly anticipate witnessing your continued success on the global stage.
Traceability
Continuing our efforts to make the Awards more transparent, we keep emphasizing the importance of working with traceable cacao across the whole of the competitions. Our filled chocolate competitions, now called “Craft Chocolatier Competitions”, demonstrate an increasing focus on cacao sourcing and traceability. This new traceability policy reflects not only current trends in craft chocolate, but also our own founding philosophy and focus on fine cacao.
Judging and prizes
The judges were drawn from IICCT alumni, local experts and members of our permanent international Grand Jury.
The categories judged included flavoured chocolate bars, filled chocolates, enrobed fruits and nuts and chocolate spreads, as well as flavoured bars (not bean-to-bar) and are based on yearly feedback from our entrants and in consultation with the fine chocolate industry. All judging is anonymised, including at the Grand Jury final session, where Golds, Silver and Bronze prizes are awarded by private voting according to the Grand Jury rules.
Prizes are awarded only to entries that meet the required standard for each prize.
2024 D.A.CH Craft Chocolatier Competition Winners are:
(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)
Repen met toegevoegde smaak
Donkere chocoladerepen met een infusie of aroma
Bronze: Schokov (Austria) – Schokov Organic “No10” Juniper & Fir (86.1)
Bronze: Schokov (Austria) – Schokov Organic “No5” Raspberry & Chili (85.8)
Donkere chocoladerepen met een vulling
Gold: Sandra & Pascal Wirth (Germany) – 65% Schwarztee & kandierte Rosenblüten (88.6)
+ Special: Ingredients
Combination chocolate met insluitsels of stukjes
Bronze: Trüffel Güse Hannover (Germany) – SIMPLY THE BEST! Nuts and Cacao (86.2)
Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines en truffels
Donkere chocolade ganaches of truffels zonder toegevoegde smaak
Bronze: Pott au Chocolat (Germany) – Grand Cru Alto Piura 75% (86.7) (**)
Ganaches of truffels van donkere chocolade met toegevoegde smaak
Bronze: Confiserie Harmonie (Germany) – Die besondere Note (86.6)
Ganaches of truffels van witte chocolade
Bronze: Das Bernsteinzimmer (Germany) – Safewords (86.0)
Ganaches of truffels met een coating of vulling van gemengde donkere/melk/witte chocolade
Gold: Lisas Pâtisserie (Germany) – Sakura Praline (89.3)
Silver: Confiserie Simon (Germany) – “Gankerl” Birne-Bergamotte Praliné (87.1)
+ Special: Ingredients
Bronze: Chokumi – Pralinen & Schokoladen (Germany) – orange & hazelnut (85.7)
Noten
Donkere chocolade dragees, omhulde hele noten
Gold: Pott au Chocolat (Germany) – Kakaobohnen in dunkler Schokolade (89.2) (**)
+ Special: Classic
Karamels
Combination chocolate enrobed caramels
Silver: Astrid Thal by Chocanya (Germany) – Honey-Caramel (88.4)
+ Special: Craft
(*) Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.
2024 Eastern European Craft Chocolatier Competition Winners are:
(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)
Repen met toegevoegde smaak
Donkere chocoladerepen met insluitsels of stukjes
Gold: Maria Magdalena Bizgan (Romania) – Coffee infused dark chocolate with nibs (90.4)
Witte chocoladerepen met insluitsels of stukjes
Silver: chocoMe (Hungary) – chocoMe blonde squares with black sesame (87.1)
+ Special: Ingredients
Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines en truffels
Ganaches of truffels van melkchocolade
Bronze: Maria Magdalena Bizgan (Romania) – Caramel, coffee ganache, milk chocolate (86.2)
Noten
Pralines op basis van noten met melkchocolade
Gold: Maria Magdalena Bizgan (Romania) – Hazelnut praline with milk chocolate (89.2)
Smeerpasta
Melkchocoladepasta
Bronze: Maria Magdalena Bizgan (Romania) – Hazelnut spread with milk chocolate (86.5)
(*) Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.
(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.