A heartfelt thank you from the Academy of Chocolate to everyone who joined us and helped make the evening such a memorable occasion. With guests from 13 countries, it was a truly international celebration of chocolate excellence. We were delighted to announce the winners of our 2025 Golden Bean and Golden Bonbon awards: Golden Bean …
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It’s Time Enter the AoC Awards! Many of you will be aware that the AoC Awards 2024 are open for entries and live on our website. Yes, the long wait is officially over! Registration opened on August 19 and for bars will close September 17 2024. Deadline for sample submissions to be received by Westminster …
Continue reading “August Newsletter – Enter the 2024 AoC Awards”
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Hello Friends! You may be right in thinking that the AoC has been a bit quiet recently. We have kept in touch via news bulletins and – very excitingly – in June there was an excellent social event at Knoops (see below). We hope it will be the first of many. Behind the scenes, we …
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Academy of Chocolate Golden BonBon Award 2022 Entries for the Academy of Chocolate Awards for filled chocolates in 2022 (both moulded and enrobed) were almost back to pre-pandemic levels. Standards were higher than ever with flavours traditionally used in chocolates such as Apricot, Strawberry, Raspberry and Rose, Coconut, Pistachio, Pear and Elderflower represented along with …
Continue reading “Award Winners and new 2023 awards dates announced!”
Read MoreThe results of the first phase of the 2022 Academy of Chocolate Awards are in, with Asian flavours leading the way across the bean-to-bar and tree-to-bar categories. Taiwan was described as “a source of innovation”, representing a high proportion of awards in both plain and flavoured categories. Ping Tung-based Fu Wan Chocolate secured …
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Read MoreThe Academy of Chocolate today announced its special award winners for 2021, with Standout Chocolate and Krak Chocolate both winning a Golden Bean award. Announced via AoC’s Instagram account, leading chocolate makers from across the world were celebrated as part of the industry’s most established annual awards. Fredrik Martinsson of Standout Chocolate from Sweden, with his Single …
Read MoreChocolates featuring Indian, Japanese and Thai flavours shared prominence with Nordic, East European and Georgian accents, in this year’s Academy of Chocolate Awards Filled Chocolate categories. Innovative flavour-melding alongside playful interplay of textures, all matched by technical excellence, produced a diverse array of novel entrants – not least amongst the top scoring Bonbons. Nostalgic …
Continue reading “Globally inspired flavours dominate AoC’s 2021 Filled Chocolate Awards”
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White chocolate bars and varieties with higher cocoa content have been the unexpected winners in this year’s Academy of Chocolate Awards. Almost a thousand bars from across the world were submitted for judging, with both plain and flavoured white chocolate bars scoring highly. White chocolate bars picked up more than 12 silvers and 7 golds …
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Record number of entries sees more vegan friendly chocolates, and products from South-East Asia, Russia and Brazil This years Academy of Chocolate awards entries have seen a sharp rise in vegan-friendly chocolates and those from Russian, Brazilian and south-east Asian chocolate producers. Marking a significant shift in global chocolate making, the awards have also seen …
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It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of our founder and president, Sara Jayne Stanes OBE on Saturday morning (24 July 2021). Sara has been a true friend and colleague to so many of us. Her drive and dedication has had a huge impact on the global chocolate industry, and …
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Two artisanal producers have been named as winners of the coveted Golden Bean trophy at the prestigious Academy of Chocolate Awards this year. Chocolat Madagascar, which became the first tree-to-bar producer to win the Golden Bean award in 2017, has again been successful with its single-farm ‘Ottange’ bar, made from 100% cacao. Meanwhile, Qantu, which …
Continue reading “Top producers honoured at Academy of Chocolate special awards”
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The Academy of Chocolate has announced the launch of its 2021 annual awards, seeking to recognise and profile the world’s most incredible chocolates and their producers. As in previous years, chocolatiers and chocolate makers will be able to enter their products in 32 key categories. As the world’s most established chocolate awards, organisers will work …
Continue reading “World’s most established fine chocolate awards are open for entries”
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The Academy of Chocolate, an independent not-for-profit membership body that promotes real chocolate, has announced a series of new appointments within its board. Former chair and founder, Sara Jayne Stanes OBE, has been appointed president of the Academy, while Chantal Coady OBE and Clive Martyr have been appointed co-chairs. As part of the move, Coady …
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Read MoreThe Academy of Chocolate has today announced the final results of its annual competition – awarding a record number of gold accreditations to chocolate makers from across the globe. With Covid-19 enforced restrictions delaying the judging, virtual and in-person tastings have been conducted by leading names in the chocolate sector over the course of the last eight weeks. The 47 ‘gold’ …
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A visionary and innovator, Oba DokumThomson (His Royal Majesty the Oloni of Eti-Oni, State of Osun, Nigeria), has a passion for Nigerian cacao farming. As well as advocating for better conditions for women in the cocoa industry, he is working hard to ensure it is a productive and highly-rewarding asset to local communities. We spoke …
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By Sara Jayne Stanes, Founder, The Academy of Chocolate Chocolate is unique. It is the only substance that melts in the mouth at body temperature, gently exploding into a warm, sensual liquid. This singularly hedonistic and deeply satisfying experience has earned chocolate a role in everything from seduction and the demise of slavery to a …
Continue reading “A guide to chocolate – the journey from pod to palate.”
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After years 30 of making racing cars, Duffy knew what life was like in the fast lane. Since winning both a Golden Bean and the ‘Best Newcomer’ award in 2011, his UK-based business has gone on to pick up numerous accolades for a wide range of products. But despite all of this success in a …
Continue reading “INTERVIEW: Duffy Sheardown from Duffy’s Chocolate”
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Coping during and after the pandemic By Simon Wright, Of+ Consulting Founder and Academy of Chocolate Board Member In the UK, the lockdown has stimulated sales of bars of chocolate as we spend more time at home with our families. I do wonder whether it’s a shared treat or a coping mechanism. It’s safe to …
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As the son of a Swedish diplomat, Bertil Åkesson spent much of his childhood travelling the world. It was through his travels across Africa that he first fell in love with chocolate. In 2015, Bertil was the winner of the Golden Bean award for his ‘Åkesson’s Madagascar 75%, Bejofo Estate’. We spoke to him to …
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The Academy of Chocolate has today announced the results of this year’s filled chocolate winners – with top awards going to newcomers from across the globe. Producers La Carambole Patisserie (Netherlands), La Fève by Pavel Pavlov (Norway, with the chocolatier from Sofia, Bulgaria), Realm of Cream (UK, but Hungarian origin) have all achieved golds for …
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It is with great regret that we have to inform you that Westminster Kingsway College (where we host our judging and receive our goods) will close completely this Friday. This means we will not be able to continue with our judging for the foreseeable future. Please do not send out any samples until further …
Continue reading “Academy of Chocolate Awards 2020 Update”
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We, at the Academy of Chocolate, are all deeply saddened by the loss of our Patron Michel Roux OBE. Michel was not only one of our most celebrated chefs, restaurateurs and authors, he was also one of France and Britain’s greatest patissiers and chocolatiers. His unique approach to hospitality, not only changed the way we …
Continue reading “Michel Roux OBE – a true hospitality hero.”
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More than 100 new producers from almost 60 countries have entered The Academy of Chocolate Awards, marking the continued growth of chocolate producers from across the world. Debut submissions came from Bali, Estonia, Uzbekistan and Zambia, in what has been another remarkable year for the awards. As with the previous year, increased consumer awareness of …
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As part of a new series of interviews with past winners of our awards, we spoke to Cecilia Tessieri from Amedei srl, who won our first ever ‘Golden Bean’ award back in 2005. At the time, Amedei was relatively unknown to the global chocolate market. But since winning the top prize at the inaugural awards, …
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Renowned chef Michel Roux OBE is viewed as one of the godfathers of modern restaurant cuisine, making him no stranger to delivering excellence and creativity in equal measure. We spoke to our celebrated patron about his passion for fine chocolate and the impact of the Academy and its coveted awards on our flourishing sector. Since …
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PRESS RELEASE 25 November 2019 The Academy of Chocolate annual awards have now opened for entries, seeking to identify and showcase the world’s most talented chocolate producers and their products. Chocolatiers and chocolate makers are able to enter multiple products across five key categories – bars, filled chocolates, drinking chocolate, chocolate spreads and brand awareness, …
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Castronovo Chocolate has been named as winner of the coveted Golden Bean trophy for its Sierra Nevada Dark Milk 63% at the prestigious Academy of Chocolate awards – the first ever awarded to a dark milk chocolate bar.
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Filled chocolates from smaller producers and new territories were big winners at this year’s Academy of Chocolate awards – highlighting the major growth in fine chocolate production across the world.
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