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)

Repen met toegevoegde smaak

Donkere chocoladerepen met insluitsels of stukjes

Donkere chocoladerepen met een vulling

Melkchocoladerepen met een vulling

Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines en truffels

Ganaches of truffels van donkere chocolade met toegevoegde smaak

Ganaches of truffels van melkchocolade

Ganaches of truffels met een coating of vulling van gemengde donkere/melk/witte chocolade

Noten

Pralines op basis van noten met melkchocolade

Witte chocolade dragees, omhulde hele noten

Pralines op basis van noten met melkchocolade …

Melkchocolade dragees, omhulde hele noten …

Overige – fruit/suiker/boter/crème

Met donkere chocolade omhuld heel fruit

Smeerpasta

Donkere chocoladepasta (geen melkpoeder)

Melkchocoladepasta

(*)  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, ganache pralines en truffels

Ganaches of truffels van donkere chocolade met toegevoegde smaak

Ganaches of truffels met een coating of vulling van gemengde donkere/melk/witte chocolade

Noten

Pralines op basis van noten met melkchocolade

Melkchocolade dragees, omhulde hele noten

Witte chocolade dragees, omhulde hele noten

Pralines op basis van noten met melkchocolade …

Karamels

Karamel omhuld met donkere chocolade

(*)  Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.

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