Academy of Chocolate Awards 2009

Last week, Simon and I were lucky enough to be invited to The Academy of Chocolate awards in London. The event took place in London’s swanky Arts Club, and was a rather quirky affair – half informal champagne party, half awards ceremony. It was a hot evening, so the champagne went down well, but some of the chocolates on offer did suffer slightly in the heat!

But what I found most interesting about the event was the mix of people present.

Showing their wares (and offering endless free samples) at the event were Hotel Chocolat, Paul A Young, William Curley and Rococo and I have to say they did a fantastic job in conditions where the people were melting as well as the chocolate!

What impressed me was that just about everyone (with the possible exception of a certain Mr Harcourt Cooze) who was anyone in the UK – and international – chocolate industry turned out for what was really not much more than an informal gathering. The list of attendees included Angus Thirlwell (from Hotel Chocolat), Paul A Young, William Curley, Chantal Coady (Rococo), Art Pollard (Amano), Mott Green (Greneda Chocolat Company), Keith Hurdman (Thorntons) and Craig Sams & Josephine Fairley (founders of Green & Black’s).

There were also many other chocolatiers and people involved in other aspects of the industry – many of whom I may have forgotten due to a slight overdose of champagne!

But despite the room being full of competitors – and people from very different backgrounds – everyone seemed to get on well and the evening turned out to be a great success. And I have to admit the goody bag we all got at the end was rather nice too.

You can find out more about The Academy of Chocolate on their web site, but I also wanted to publish the full list of winners here. Any of these chocolates is well worth picking up if you get the chance.

The Golden Bean – Best bean to bar dark

• THE GOLDEN BEAN: Amedei – No 9
• Gold: Amedei – Porcelana
• Gold: Amano – Madagascar
• Gold: Amedei – Toscano Black 70%
• Gold: Valrhona – Manjari
• Silver: Domori – Il Blend
• Silver: Domori – Teyuna
• Silver: Amano – Montanya
• Silver: Amedei – Toscano Black 63%
• Silver: Amano – Ocumare
• Bronze: Domori – Puertomar
• Bronze: Domori – Puertofino
• Bronze: Valrhona – Caraïbe
• Bronze: Amano – Jembrana
• Bronze: Amedei – Toscano Black 66%

Best House Dark Chocolate Bar

• Gold: William Curley – House Blend 70%
• Bronze: Hotel Chocolat – Blend 2
• Bronze: Hotel Chocolat – Blend 3
• Bronze: Auberge du Chocolat Auberge bar

Best Flavoured Dark Chocolate Bar

• Gold: Valrhona – Manjari orange
• Gold: Paul A Young Fine Chocolates – Black Cardamom and stem ginger
• Silver: Beschle – Grand Cru Trinitario au Fleur de Sel et Pistaches
• Silver: Oberweis – Cumin & Pistachio
• Bronze: Valrhona – Guanaja grue
• Bronze: Thorntons – Macadamia
• Bronze: Amedei – Extra dark chocolate bar with avola almonds
• Bronze: Co Couture – Rum & raisin blend II

Best Milk Chocolate Bar

• Silver: Theo – Jane Goodall 45%
• Silver: Michel Cluizel – Grand Lait 45%
• Bronze: Michel Cluizel – Mangaro Lait
• Bronze: Amedei – For You ‘Gocce Cioccolato Al Latte’
• Bronze: Thorntons – Venezuelan 38%
• Bronze: Amano – Ocumare Milk Chocolate

Best Flavoured Milk Chocolate Bar

• Gold: Amedei – Milk chocolate with hazelnuts
• Gold: Co Couture – Honeycomb, blend IV
• Gold: Sir Hans Sloane – Mandarin cranberry
• Silver: Thorntons – Tonka Bean
• Bronze: Domori – Latte sal
• Bronze: Paul a Young Fine Chocolates – stem ginger with fennel seed
• Bronze: Kaoka – 32% Milk with caramelised almond pieces

Best Ganache filled chocolate – flavoured or plain

• Gold: William Curley – Amedei Chuao
• Gold: William Curley – Toasted sesame
• Gold: William Curley – Japanese black vinegar
• Gold: Chococo – Gorgeous ginger
• Gold: William Curley – Rosemary & olive oil
• Gold: Paul Wayne Gregory – Coconut bonbon
• Gold: Rococo – Passion fruit & mango
• Gold: Rococo – Rose & Lychee
• Silver: Paul a Young Fine Chocolates – 10yr Glenmorangie
• Silver: Paul Wayne Gregory – Salted caramel bonbon
• Silver: Melt Chocolates – Peanut butter and raspberry
• Silver: Auberge du Chocolat – Spices
• Silver: Hotel Chocolat – Caribbean rum ganache
• Silver: Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé – Ancho chilli and lemon oil
• Silver: Hotel Chocolat – Caribbean fruit ganache
• Silver: Paul Wayne Gregory – A hint of liquorice bonbon
• Silver: Melt Chocolates – Olive oil caramel
• Silver: William Curley – Framboise
• Silver: Jean-Paul Hevin – 1502
• Silver: Cocomaya – Pomegranate
• Bronze: Paul a Young Fine Chocolates – Sichuan pepper & mango
• Bronze: Paul De Bondt – Lemon
• Bronze: Prestat – Strawberry
• Bronze: Theo – Rum raisin
• Bronze: Melt Chocolates – Banana, coconut & passion fruit
• Bronze: Cocomaya – Assam chai
• Bronze: Rozsavologyi csokolade – Raspberry & cherry palinka

Best Filled Praline or Bonbon

• Gold: Pralus – Barre Infernale Lait
• Silver: Sir Hans Sloane – Coffee
• Silver: Sir Hans Sloane – Roasted almond
• Silver: William Curley – Sea salt caramel
• Silver: William Curley Piemont hazelnut
• Silver: Paul a Young Fine Chocolates – sea salted almond rocher
• Bronze: De Bondt Paul – Hazelnut praline
• Bronze: Booja Booja – Hazelnut crunch truffle
• Bronze: Sir Hans Sloane – Almond

Best Dark Truffle (unflavoured)

• Gold: William Curley – House dark
• Silver: Paul a Young Fine Chocolates – 70%Chuao
• Bronze: Paul a Young Fine Chocolates – Los Ancones truffle 67%
• Bronze: Lauden – House dark truffle
• Bronze: Sir Hans Sloane – Dark truffle
• Bronze: Rococo – House truffle

Best Milk Truffle (unflavoured)

• Silver: Sir Hans Sloane – Milk truffle
• Silver: William Curley – House milk

Best Dark Organic Chocolate Bar

• Silver: Pralus – Le 100%
• Bronze: Valrhona – Cao Grande Dark

Best Milk Organic Chocolate Bar

• No awards given

Best Drinking Chocolate (unflavoured)

• Gold: Paul a Young Fine Chocolates – Aztec drinking chocolate
• Gold: Pralus – Cacao show drinking chocolate
• Silver: Bonnat – Copeaux 100%
• Silver: William Curley – house blend
• Silver: Bonnat – Tablette à Cuire
• Bronze: Rococo – house blend
• Bronze: Sir Hans Sloane – Dark drinking chocolate
• Bronze: Bonnat – Copeaux 80%
• Best Drinking Chocolate (flavoured)
• Bronze: Amedei – Chocolate in tazza

Best Packaging

• Gold: Tcho – 6 bar gift box
• Silver: Rococo – Round box
• Bronze: La Molina – The cretti book