Spotlight On | Academy of Chocolate
One of Life’s Great Pleasures
The Academy of Chocolate was founded in 2005 by five of Britain’s leading chocolate professionals, united in the belief that eating fine chocolate is one of life’s great pleasures. They launched the awards that same year, focusing on both bard and filled chocolates. We spoke to Albert Chau, Certified Chocolate Taster and Board Member of the AOC and this is what he told us about how the awards benefit both emerging and existing brands, new trends and the power of an award medal sticker.
1. Can you provide an overview of the Academy of Chocolate Awards and its mission in promoting excellence in chocolate production?
The Academy campaigns for better chocolate and to promote a greater awareness of the difference between fine chocolate and the mass-produced chocolate confectionery which most of us eat. We believe that demand for fine chocolate will act as an incentive to select better quality cocoa beans and therefore have an impact on the cocoa growing countries. They in turn will be able to take more care with their production, fermentation and drying methods thus protecting the workers and the environment. This will lead to a better price for the cocoa beans.
2. How does winning a medal from the Academy of Chocolate Awards benefit chocolate makers, both established and emerging?
Awards can raise the credibility of a company for producing quality, and the products they sell. An award also increases visibility for the company generally. Awards can draw new customers and new employees to your business, so when looking for staff, having won an award can also help attract talent who want to be associated with excellence.
If you're a young chocolate company, winning an Academy of Chocolate award can signal to the world that you've "arrived," and help to cement the high level of quality and excellence of your product. For more established players, business marks and awards not only showcase your chocolate-making heritage, but also prove you're still dynamic and innovative in the chocolate world, ensuring potential new customers know you're still making quality products.
With too many companies having closed due to the challenges of the pandemic, numerous businesses, big and small, are using awards like the Academy of Chocolate Awards to be able to shout about the fact they survived and are still open. Hopefully, they utilise any win as part of a PR campaign.
3. What advice do you have for chocolatiers and chocolate makers who are considering submitting their products for the Academy of Chocolate Awards?
The Academy of Chocolate judges chocolate from all over the world. The judges are as diverse as the chocolate they judge and so any company from North America to Indonesia can be reassured that the judges will taste their products and give them a fair judgement. Don’t change anything for the judges but do make sure if you are sending bars to read the guidance on shipping to ensure bars arrive in perfect condition and with filled/enrobed chocolates please make sure they arrive within the timeframe specified and if giving them to a friend, ensure they do not store them near a heat source. Filled and enrobed chocolates are best when fresh and we do accept hand-delivered chocolates which go straight into the chiller which is a safe temperature for chocolate and will be brought to room temperature before they are given to the in-person judges.
The Academy takes great care so rest assured the excellent chocolate you send to us is treated with care by everyone involved from the team to Westminster Kingsway who sponsor the awards through giving us space to use.
4. Are there specific trends or innovations in the chocolate industry that you've observed through the submissions and winners of the awards?
It was noted with appreciation that the entrants to the Academy of Chocolate Awards for filled chocolates in November 2023 (both for moulded and enrobed) were almost back to pre-pandemic levels with both artisan chocolatiers and confectioners worldwide submitting multiple entries and with many new small players entering the market.
Ganache and caramel products (cream and fruit-based) and many variations of them continue to be at the forefront with the numbers of entrants entering gianduja and praline.
The awards committee and the judges were particularly pleased to note that the standard of entrants, and most notably the UK, is increasing exponentially year on year with some outstanding products standing alongside the many excellent and diverse international entries.
It was also gratifying to note a new trend that the smaller premium producers of bean to bar chocolate are now seeing their products increasingly used by acclaimed artisan chocolatiers and restaurant and hotel pastry-chefs, in addition to the blended and single-origin couvertures from the small high-class Swiss and French manufactures, both of which again were very much in evidence, particularly among the entrants from the European mainland.
The awards committee and judges observed that the standards of moulded chocolates, in particular, are higher than ever and are still improving across the board with outstanding product examples being presented of both traditional and contemporary flavours, such as Apricot, Strawberry, Raspberry and Rose, Coconut, Pistachio, Pear and Elderflower among others, being represented along with highly creative and innovative compositions such as Rose and Geranium, Tamarind and Tea, Umani Onion, Timur Pepper, Guava and Parmesan, and Passionfruit & Thyme.
5. Looking forward, what can we expect from the Academy of Chocolate Awards in terms of initiatives or expansions that will continue to support and celebrate excellence in chocolate making?
The Academy is launching a series of trainings over time, focusing on filled and enrobed chocolates first which has already launched, and moving into bars next. The Academy wish to complement the training already given to students at places like the excellent Westminster Kingsway College which has a prestigious program and has turned out some of the top chefs and chocolatiers globally, to enable them to quickly pursue a specialist job or to set up their own business. The essential education that Westminster Kingsway gives their students is excellent, so the training the Academy gives chocolatiers and judges is absolutely complimentary to this.
How can I order award medal stickers?
If you have won an award from The Academy of Chocolate you can order gold, silver and bronze stickers by contacting the organisation directly and obtaining an order form. Alternatively, winners can order directly from our website by clicking here.
Congratulations to all those who entered the competition, we totally agree that eating fine chocolate certainly is one of life’s great pleasures!
To find out more about The Academy of Chocolate visit their website here.
