A Life Without Passion...
...is a life not lived.
When we think of passion, many people will associate it with relationships of the romantic kind. But so many people have passionate relationships with the products they produce, putting their heart and soul into every corner of their business, to bring to market some of the best products available today.
The same can be said about the many independent chocolatiers that are emerging around the UK today. And on Friday 5th June 2015 we were invited to attend the International Chocolate Awards (ICA) 2015 in York for the British Competition Awards Evening.
The awards were presented in the Merchant Adventurer's Hall in York. Building a city on chocolate, York went on its own journey compared to many northern centres, who made their wealth on cotton, steel and wool. 
So within the perfect setting, we embarked on an evening of awards, being presented to passionate and proven chocolatiers and chocolate makers of the 21st Century.
The evening showcased the winning entries from chocolatiers and chocolate makers, and we were certainly not reticent in taking our place in the line to taste and sample some of the winning entries.
Sophie Jewett (York Cocoa House) and Martin Christy (ICA) were on hand to announce the winners from a selection of differing chocolate categories, while York College Level 2 professional chefs, Kevin Pratt and Nikki Simspon, delighted those attending with a White Chocolate & Rhubarb Mousse, Sweet Basil, Meringue, Chocolate Soil and Rhubarb Sorbet 'Chocolate Yorkshire Indulgence' dessert.
Russell Pullan and Albert Chau from Fifth Dimension Chocolates won bronze for two of their chocolates. Their Mango & Passion Fruit Caramel being chosen for the 'Dark Chocolate Enrobed Caramels' category and their Basil taking bronze for the category of 'Flavoured Dark Chocolate Ganaches or Truffles'.
What we love about the chocolates being produced by Russell, aside from the intriguing flavour combinations, is the audible snap he manages to achieve. On a recent introduction to Denbies Vineyard in Dorking, Surrey their events manager noted the wonderful feel Fifth Dimension chocolates had in the mouth, and the snap and crack attained with perfect tempering on their Raspberry Pâte de Fruits Chocwich.
They entered their amazing Stout caramel chocolate for an award too but we guess the judges weren't London stout-lovers. If you get the chance it is certainly one of our top picks and worthy of a mention. An award is surely not far behind.
Mattieu de Gottal walked away with Bronze, Silver and Gold - all in the same category of 'Ganaches or truffles using mixed dark/milk/white for coatings and fillings'.
Aneesh Popat - The Chocolatier, another favourite of ours, took home a Bronze award in his absence, for his Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Water Ganache Spread.
For us, a note-worthy bean to bar maker that we met at Chocolate Unwrapped back in 2012 is the Chocolate Tree, who seemed to be spending a lot of time on stage picking up a variety of awards.
Their award-winning Rose & Vanilla velvety smooth organic white chocolate, delicately blended with pure aromatic rose oil and premium floral vanilla seed was 'heaven in a bar' for our Turkish Delight lover. Many white chocolate bars can end up a little too rich and creamy but the Chocolate Tree are spot-on with this creation.
We were delighted to be introduced again to Duffy and Penny Sheardown during the course of the evening. Duffy comes from the world of motor sport and in 2007 took a different road and is now producing some of the most amazing bean to bar chocolate the UK has to offer.
Duffy informed the eager crowd, when he took to the stage to collect his European Award, that chocolate making is easy and we should all give it a go! But we think we would rather leave it to the 'professionals', those with the endless dedication for bringing us chocolate to such a high standard where you can actually taste the passion they put into every bar.
Because a life without passion (and chocolate) really is a life not lived.
Follow the awards at www.internationalchocolateawards.com and see the full list of British winners here.
Revisit Chocolate Unwrapped 2012 via Flickr with Kokova Magazine