International Chocolate Awards European Semi Final Winners 2013
The International Chocolate Awards are pleased to reveal the winners of the 2013 European Semi Final. This year's winners vary from historic chocolate companies to new small batch makers, in countries ranging from the UK to Germany, Denmark to Lithuania.
Now in its second year, these prestigious awards give out no more than one Gold in each category and a small number of Silvers to the winning products, which go through three rigorous rounds of judging in London.
Additional awards are also given to winners where appropriate to highlight their work as bean-to-bar chocolate makers, for directly sourcing their cacao and as recognition of countries from which there are more than 10 entries in a category.
The Dark plain bars category, which received over 70 entries, saw the Gold go to Bonnat Chocolatier’s Cusco. Bonnat is a traditional French family company who have been making chocolate for more than 100 years, and are known for being pioneers in origin sources. Cusco is a highland province of Peru, home to the world famous 15th-century Inca site, Machu Picchu. Cusco's win reinforces Peru's increasing reputation for fine cacao, following the Piura-Quemazon region's award for Best cacao source at the 2012 World Final.
Central American cacao also featured strongly in the award winners, with Danish brand Friis-Holm’s Nicaragua 55% Dark Milk picking up the Gold in the Milk Plain Bar category, while Duffy's Red Star Chocolate Honduras Indio Rojo picked up a Silver in Dark Plain Bar category.
Akesson's, a Swiss company with cocoa and pepper plantations in Madagascar and Brazil, won 
Boutique Aromatique, a chocolaterie based in Nottinghamshire swept the board in the Flavoured Dark Ganache and Truffles category, winning Gold with her Garden Mint & Sweet Basil, as well as two Silvers and a World Nomination.
Paul a Young Fine Chocolates was the only 2012 winner to retain their title, once again winning Gold in the Unflavoured Dark Truffle category with their RAW Ecuadorian 85% dark chocolate truffle as well as Gold in the Dark Caramel category for their world beating Sea Salted Caramel.
The judges were particularly excited by the Dark Caramel category, which also saw strong entries by Rococo Chocolates, who won Silvers for their Kalamansi Lime Caramel and Passion Fruit and Rosemary Caramel.
Following an industry consultation at the beginning of the year, a number of new categories have been added to allow for the use of white chocolate. Rococo is the first Gold winner in the new Flavoured white category with its Organic White Chocolate & Cardamom Bar. Paul a Young received Gold in the Mixed chocolate ganaches and truffles category for his Passion Fruit Curd, which has a passion fruti and white chocolate curd filling with a dark chocolate shell.
Rococo was the only award winner in the Dark Nut category, winning Gold with their Salted chocolate toffee and crunchy praline.
The judges were excited to see younger and smaller companies doing particularly well, showing how the fine chocolate industry is continuing to grow despite the economic downturn. Edinburgh-based chocolatier The Chocolate Tree picked up four awards, including Silver for their Orange & Pink Lake Salt flavoured dark bar - having only started making bean-to-bar chocolate last year. They also picked up a Nomination for The Chieftan - a Haggis-spiced dark bar.
The European Semi-Final award winners will be invited to enter the World Final in October, followed National competitions in Israel and Italy earlier in the year, with an Americas Semi Final due to take place in New York in June and a National round in Canada in September.
Winners from all the competitions will be invited to enter the World Final, which will take place in London during Chocolate Week in October 2013.
The full list of winners can be viewed on the Chocolate Award website.