Indian Craft Chocolate Competition 2026 – Winners

The Indian Craft Chocolate Competition honors a defining moment in India’s chocolate journey, recognizing work that reflects the skill, integrity, and a strong sense of place for Indian makers, as Indian cacao and chocolate begin to earn global attention.

The first national competition for India creates a space for meaningful recognition and strengthens the Indian craft chocolate community, inspires conscious production, and will help to position Indian chocolate with confidence on the world stage.

Judges

This competition was judged remotely to include a wide range of judges from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, and members of our international Grand Jury. 

Winners were selected by the Grand Jury after the main round of judging from the Grand Jury Finalists. While listing as a Grand Jury Finalist is an achievement in itself, it does not necessarily indicate that the entry will receive a prize.

All judging was anonymised, included at the Grand Jury final session, where Golds, Silver and Bronze prizes were awarded by private voting according to the Grand Jury rules.

All winners in this competition are eligible to enter the World Final in October/November 2026.

The awards ceremony and celebration for this Indian competition will be held at the Indian Cacao and Craft Chocolate Festival in Bangalore, India in December 2026.  Ceremony details will be available soon.

Prizes

The winners of the 2026 Indian Craft Chocolate Competition are:

(Prizes are shown in score order for each medal)


Pure/origine repen

Pure/origine donkere chocoladerepen

Bronze: Paul And Mike  (India) – 72% Dark Chocolate (Yellow Fermentation) (86.5) (**)

Micro-batch – Pure/origine donkere chocoladerepen

Bronze: Savorworks Roasters  (India) – 72% Dark Chocolate (87.7) (**)

Bronze: Manam Chocolate  (India) – Origin Tablet No.7 (86.7) (**)

Hoog % puur/origine donkere chocoladerepen (85% of meer)

Gold: Savorworks Roasters  (India) – 85% Dark Chocolate (89.1) (**)

+ Gold: Direct Traded

Bronze: Anuttama  (India) – Ultimate 99% Dark (87.5) (**)

Bronze: Paul And Mike  (India) – 99% Dark Chocolate (86.7) (**)

Pure/originele chocoladerepen met melkvervangers

Bronze: Anuttama  (India) – Bella Tharai (85.5) (**)

Pure/origine witte chocoladerepen

Bronze: Manam Chocolate  (India) – Origin Tablet No.9 (86.7) (**)


Repen met toegevoegde smaak

Donkere chocoladerepen met een infusie of aroma

Silver: Savorworks Roasters  (India) – 72% Dark Chocolate – Gin & Tonic (88.0) (**)

Donkere chocoladerepen met insluitsels of stukjes

Silver: Anuttama  (India) – Coconut Crunch (88.7) (**)

Bronze: PASCATI, artisan chocolate  (India) – Mango Dark (86.3) (**)

Bronze: Baker’s Artisanal Recipes  (India) – The Buzzz..ed Bar (dark 60% W/nibs) (85.5) (**)

Melk chocoladerepen met een infusie of aroma

Silver: Manam Chocolate  (India) – Origin Tablet No.1 (88.3) (**)

Bronze: Chitra’m Craft Chocolates  (India) – Mango Lassi ( Dark Milk Chocolate ) (85.6) (**)

Melkchocoladerepen met insluitsels of stukjes

Silver: Paul And Mike  (India) – Pistachios & Idukki Cardamom Chocolate (87.5) (**)

+ Special: Ingredients

Bronze: Manam Chocolate  (India) – Chai Biscuit (86.5) (**)

Witte chocoladerepen met insluitsels of stukjes

Gold: Chitra’m Craft Chocolates  (India) – Sugarless Masala Buttermilk ( Chaas ) (89.9) (**)

+ Special: Innovation

Silver: Chitra’m Craft Chocolates  (India) – Pineapple & Mulligatawny (Pepper Rasam) (87.8) (**)

+ Special: Gastronomic

Bronze: Subko Cacao  (India) – The Flat White Bar (85.9) (**)


Ganaches, palets, ganache pralines en truffels

Ganaches of truffels van melkchocolade

Gold: Paul And Mike  (India) – Masala Chai Bonbon (89.5) (**)

+ Special: Ingredients


Noten

Pralines op basis van noten met melkchocolade

Bronze: Manam Chocolate  (India) – Cashew Praline Clusters (86.0) (**)

Bronze: Manam Chocolate  (India) – Almond Praline Cluster (85.5) (**)

Melkchocolade dragees, omhulde hele noten

Gold: Manam Chocolate  (India) – Malted Cacao Bean Dragees (88.9) (**)

+ Special: Recipe

Witte chocolade dragees, omhulde hele noten

Silver: Savorworks Roasters  (India) – CashewNut Tom Kha Dragee (87.5) (**)

+ Special: Gastronomic

Melkchocolade dragees, omhulde hele noten …

Bronze: Manam Chocolate  (India) – Double Chocolate Hazelnut Dragees (85.8) (**)


Overige – fruit/suiker/boter/crème

Met melkchocolade omhuld heel fruit

Gold: Paul And Mike  (India) – Milk Chocolate Coated Salted Capers (90.9) (**)

+ Special: Gastronomic

+ Special: Ingredients

Met witte chocolade omhuld heel fruit

Bronze: Manam Chocolate  (India) – Toasted Sesame & Yogurt Blueberry Dragee (86.3) (**)


Cocoa Powder

Silver: PASCATI, artisan chocolate  (India) – Cacao Powder (88.0) (**)

+ Gold: Organic


(*)  Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.

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