THE ACADEMY OF CHOCOLATE AWARDS 2008
AMEDEI TOSCANO 63% WINS THE 'GOLDEN BEAN' FOR BEST BEAN
TO BAR
WILLIAM CURLEY WINS BEST CHOCOLATIER OF THE YEAR
CHANTAL COADY AND ROCOCO AWARDED SPECIAL PRIZE FOR
‘CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT CHOCOLATE’
WILLIE HARCOURT-COOZE VOTED CHOCOLATE PERSONALITY OF THE
YEAR FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD OF
‘CACAO’
The winners of the Academy of Chocolate Awards 2008 were presented at The Arts Club by Nigel Barden, BBC Radio Broadcaster and Food and Wine Journalist. Chocolatier William Curley, together with his wife, the equally talented Suzue, won an impressive number of medals and the accolade of ‘Chocolatier of the Year’. William’s awards include a spectacular 4 Golds in the Best Ganache Filled Chocolate category with his Chuao chocolate scoring highest, and the only 2 Golds in the Best Dark Chocolate Bar category. The judges were particularly ‘wowed’ by his Japanese Black Vinegar ganache and his Sesame ganache.
For the third year running, the Italian chocolate house Amedei won the top marks in the best ‘Bean to Bar’ chocolate category (this is for dark chocolate made from cocoa beans sourced by the company), affording it the new ‘Golden Bean’ prize with its impressive Toscano 63%. Amedei also won golds for its Chuao and its Porcelana. However, this year competition was intense with French producer Valrhona, winning gold awards for its Manjari 64% and Guanaja 70%. Valrhona also won the only gold in the Best Milk Chocolate Bar category. Other chocolatiers winning Golds and Silvers in the Awards included US based Theo, Italy’s Guido Gobino and UK chocolatiers Sir Hans Sloane, Melt, Demarquette and Paul A Young.
The Academy of Chocolate Awards 2008 received a record 300 plus entries from chocolatiers all over Europe and the United States. Judging took place in London over three days in January. None of the identities of the products was disclosed to any of the judges. The panel included Academy members (none of whom had entries, of course), leading food journalists such as Charles Campion, Sheila Dillon, Janey Suthering, and renowned chefs such as Mark Hix, as well as international chocolate experts from the US, Scandinavia and South America.
The judges commented on the very wide range of flavoured chocolates, from traditional rose and violet to fashionable sea salted caramels, as well as spiced chocolates, and a move towards Japanese ingredients and natural liquorice. The judges were also impressed by the entries in the drinking chocolate category. Rococo won Gold for its organic House chocolate as did US chocolate maker Theo for its Fair Trade organic chocolate Chipotle Spiced Drinking Chocolate. The judges remarked how the quality and range of presentation illustrated the revival in chocolate culture. Drinking chocolates were submitted from the UK, Europe and the US, presented as sticks by Hotel Chocolat (reminiscent of how the Mayans and Aztecs produced chocolate from as far back as the 10th century), flakes, powder, bars and nuggets.
A small panel of the AoC judges felt that this year they were more than justified in making 2 discretionary Special Awards. The first is for our very own ‘Special Chocolate Person’ Chantal Coady for 25 yeas of Rococo that she and her husband and partner James Booth have just celebrated by opening their third Rococo shop. Chantal has lovingly, persuasively and knowledgably changed the way people think about chocolate …
AND FINALLY the last Special Award went to ‘Chocolate Personality of the Year’ which was awarded to Willie Harcourt-Cooze for so compellingly and skilfully bringing the true journey of ‘cacao to chocolate’ into the lives and homes of so many chocolate lovers with his Channel 4 series Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory.
Sara Jayne Stanes OBE, chairman of the Academy of Chocolate says of the Awards “The Awards have doubled each year and we were thrilled with the number and quality of entries we received. We hope that these annual Academy of Chocolate Awards will help consumers, retailers, chefs and restaurateurs to make enlightened choices about the chocolate they buy. At the same time, the Awards can bring knowledge and understanding of the journey of ‘cacao’ from pod to palate and may be able to dispel some of the myths that surround the chocolate world. Ultimately, we want the cocoa farmer to enjoy a better price for his beans, a better standard of living – environmentally and sustainably”.
- ENDS-
FULL LIST OF WINNERS OF THE 2008 ACADEMY OF CHOCOLATE AWARDS:
1. The Bean to Bar - Best ‘chocolate makers’ dark bar (chocolate produced from cocoa beans sourced and processed by the company)
- Gold Amedei Toscano 63% ‘Golden Bean’
- Gold Valrhona Manjari 64%
- Gold Valrhona Guanaja 70%
- Gold Amedei Porcelana
- Gold Amedei Chuao
- Silver Amedei Toscano 66%
- Silver Amedei Toscano 70%
- Silver Amedei 9
- Bronze Valrhona Caraibe 66%
- Bronze Hotel Chocolat St Lucia 72%
- Bronze Amano Madagascar
- Gold William Curley 65% Amedei
- Gold William Curley 70% Amedei
- Silver Rococo Manjari 64%
- Silver Pamaco Samatari
- Silver Pamaco Maracado
- Bronze Demarquette 65%
- Bronze L’artisan du Chocolat Venezuela
- Gold Sir Hans Sloane Rose Petal
- Gold Valrhona Manjari Orange
- Silver Donnelly’s Rose
- Silver Donnelly’s Lavender
- Silver Donnelly’s Coffee
- Silver Laurent Gerbaud Bergamot
- Silver Sir Hans Sloane Raspberry
- Silver Sir Hans Sloane Almond
- Bronze Green and Black’s Ginger
- Bronze New Tree 73% Pink Pepper
- Bronze Sir Hans Sloane Orange Sesame
- Gold Valrhona Jivara 40%
- Silver Amedei Toscano Brown
- Silver William Curley House
- Silver Pamaco Criovemi
- Bronze L’artisan du Chocolat Dominican Republic
- Bronze L’artisan du Chocolat Madagascar
- Gold Amedei Hazelnuts
- Silver L’artisan du Chocolate Coffee
- Silver William Curley Cinnamon
- Silver La Molina Latte Menta
- Bronze Paul A Young Fennel Seeds and Ginger
- Gold William Curley Chuao
- Gold William Curley Framboise
- Gold William Curley Toasted Sesame
- Gold William Curley Japanese Black Vinegar
- Gold Theo Fig and Fennel
- Silver William Curley Passion Fruit and Mango
- Silver Sir Hans Sloane Passion Fruit
- Silver Melt Amedei Truffle
- Silver William Curley Thyme and Scottish Heather Honey
- Silver William Curley House Blend Earl Grey
- Silver William Curley Szechuan Pepper
- Silver Demarquette Sicilian Lemon
- Silver Melt Raspberry Duo
- Bronze Melt Vanilla Ganache and Tonka Feuillantine
- Bronze Melt Passion Fruit Caramel & Mandarin Ganache
- Bronze Paul Wayne Gregory Coconut Bonbon
- Bronze Melt Orange Ganache on Praline
- Bronze Indulgence Orange
- Bronze William Curley Wasabi
- Bronze William Curley Jasmine
- Bronze Melt Raspberry Caramel Hearts
- Bronze Paul Wayne Gregory Blue Mountain Coffee Bonbon
- Bronze William Curley Richmond Park Honey
- Bronze Demarquette Fortnum Sandringham coffee
- Bronze Sir Hans Sloane Chinese Tea
- Bronze William Curley Sudachi
- Bronze Damian Allsop Single Estate
- Bronze Demarquette Blanc Manger
- Bronze Hotel Chocolat Rabot 62%
- Bronze Auberge du Chocolat Amedei House
- Bronze Demarquette Honey
- Bronze Chococo Wild Thing
- Bronze Damian Allsop Salty Liquorice
- Gold Guido Gobino Cremino e Sale
- Gold William Curley Juniper & Cassis
- Gold William Curley Sea Salt Caramel
- Silver William Curley Fleur de Sel
- Silver William Curley Raspberry
- Silver Paul Wayne Gregory Praline Crunch Bonbon
- Silver Rococo Salty Caramel Ravioli
- Silver Theo Sage Caramel
- Bronze Hotel Chocolat Gianduja Square
- Bronze William Curley Pistachio Toscano
- Gold William Curley
- Silver Rococo
- Silver Paul A Young
- Bronze L’artisan du Chocolat
- Silver William Curley
- Silver Valrhona Cao Grande noir 70%
- Silver Grenada Chocolate Company 71%
- Bronze Rococo House
- Gold Theo Fig, Fennel and Almond
- Bronze Rococo Pink Peppercorn
- Silver Valrhona Cao Grande Lait
- Bronze Theo Vanilla
- Gold Rococo House
- Gold Theo Chipotle Spiced
- Silver Paul A Young Spiced Aztec
- Bronze William Curley Chilli
- Bronze William Curley Spiced
- Bronze Paul A Young House Aztec
- Bronze Grenada Chocolate Company Smilo
- Bronze Hotel Chocolat Original Cocoa Stick
They are: Elena Kastanova (Seventypercent.com); Alex Rast (Seventypercent.com);Benoit Blin (Head Pastry Chef Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons); Maggie Rosen (Food and Wine Journalist); Janey Suthering (President Guild Food Writers); Joanna Wood (Food Journalist); Caroline Stacey (Food Journalist); Yolande Stanley (Pastry Lecturer, Thames Valley University); Mark Hix (Chef and Food Writer and Author); Stefano Borella (Head Pastry Chef, Caffe Caldesi); Frances Bissell (Cookery Writer and Author); Lydia Slater (Daily Mail); Henrietta Green (Food Lovers Britain); Lulu Grimes (Food Editor, Olive); Diana Henry (Cookery Writer, Sunday Telegraph); Kevin Gould (Food and Wine Journalist); Jill Norman (Food Journalist and Editor); Xanthe Clay (The Telegraph); Sudi Pigott (Food Writer and Author); Regis Beauregard (Head Pastry Chef, The Ritz); Carolyn Hart (The Telegraph); Alexander Morozoff (USA) Cocoaroma Andrew Baker (Duchy Maja Berthas-Havervall (Swedish Chocolate Academy) ; Carmen Chiriboga – (Republica del Cacao Ecuador); Fiona Sims (Food and Wine Writer); Caroline Boucher (Observer Food Monthly); Jenni Muir (Food Writer and Author); Charles Campion (Journalist and Author and Broadcaster); Amanda Afiya (Caterer); Lucas Hollweg (The Times) Philip Usher (Pastry Chef The Caprice.
Also massive thanks to Kate Johns of Nudge pr for ‘holding’ it all together. With many thanks to Brian Clivaz and his team at The Arts Club for the perfect Awards venue and to Champagne Devaux for its exquisite champagne and to Noval for their continuing generosity and spectacular Ports.
The Academy of Chocolate was set up in June 2005 to encourage consumers to ‘look beyond the label’ and to differentiate between real chocolate and confectionary. It also aims to improve the standard and knowledge of chocolate in the UK whilst also encouraging the transparent sourcing of cocoa beans from the plantations.