The Academy of Chocolate Awards receive entries from across the globe, as far a field as America and from countries renowned for their world class chocolates such as France and Italy. However, the best filled chocolate goes to British chocolatier William Curley for his ‘Best Filled’ Chuao chocolate.

William Curley has also been awarded the Best British Chocolatier accolade for the outstanding quality of his chocolates. William, based in Richmond, received a phenomenal, 3 Golds and 4 Silvers in this year’s awards for his filled chocolates, truffles and his house blend of hot chocolate.

The London chocolate shops picked up many of the Gold and Silver awards including Rococo, MELT, L’artisan du Chocolat, La Maison du Chocolat and Paul A Young, reflecting the burgeoning of the British chocolate scene and the superb quality of chocolate now created here.

Paul A Young Fine Chocolate has been awarded Best New Chocolate Shop. Paul opened his glamorous chocolaterie in Camden Passage, Islington earlier this year, where Paul has already won many admiring fans.

The award winners will be showcased and available to taste at The Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia, London from 1st – 5th November.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS OF THE 2006 ACADEMY OF CHOCOLATE AWARDS -

Best ‘chocolatier’ dark bar (from existing liquor or couverture):

Silver – Rococo Grenada Hurricane Emily (from couverture)
Silver – L’artisan du Chocolat, Madagascar (from liquor)

Best bean to bar:

Gold – Amedei Chuao (top marks) www.amedei.com
Gold – Amedei Porcelana
Gold – Amedei Toscano Black 70%
Gold – Michel Cluizel, Maralumi www.michelcluizel.com
Gold – Valrhona Araguani  www.valrhona.fr

Silver – Malagasy Mora Mora www.malagasy.co.uk
Silver – Amedei ‘9’
Silver – Michel Cluizel Mangaro
Silver – Domori Puertomar www.domori.com

Bronze – Michel Cluizel Tamarina
Bronze – Hotel Chocolat Rabot Estate 72% www.hotelchocolat.co.uk

Best milk chocolate bar:

Bronze – Amedei, Milk
Bronze – Green and Black’s Milk www.greenandblacks.co.uk

Best flavoured milk chocolate bar:

Bronze – L’artisan du Chocolat Tonka bean bar www.artisanduchocolat.com

Best filled chocolate:

Gold – William Curley Chuao  (top marks) www.williamcurley.co.uk
Gold – William Curley Szechuan Pepper
Gold – La Maison du Chocolat Salvador www.lamaisonduchocolat.com
Gold – Melt Passion and mango fruit cube www.lamaisonduchocolat.com
Gold – Melt Raspberry Chuao
Gold – Paul Wayne Gregory Passion fruit bonbon www.paulwaynegregory.co.uk
           
Silver – William Curley Fresh mint
Silver – William Curley Sea salted caramel
Silver – Theo Fig & fennel  www.theochocolate.com
Silver – Melt Sea salted caramel
Silver – Demarquette Rivesaltes & raisins www.demarquette.com
Silver – Demarquette House ganache
Silver – Paul A Young Sea salted caramel www.payoung.net
Silver – Paul Wayne Gregory Space dust bonbon

Bronze – Melt Café Manjari square
Bronze – Demarquette Arabian Coffee
Bronze – Demarquette Blanc Manger Des Antilles

Best plain dark truffle

Gold – Paul A Young
Gold – William Curley

Silver – Rococo www.rococochocolates.com

Best flavoured dark truffle

Silver – Theo Burnt sugar

Bronze – Theo Mint
Bronze – L’artisan du Chocolat  Honey

Best plain milk truffle

Silver – L’artisan du Chocolat
Silver – William Curley

Best flavoured milk truffle

Gold – L’artisan du Chocolat, cinnamon

Best dark organic chocolate bar

Silver – Valrhona Cao Grande

Best flavoured dark organic bar

Gold – SHS - Caramelised Hazelnuts
           
Silver – Rococo, Basil and lime

Best milk organic chocolate bar

Bronze – Valrhona Cao Grande Noir
Bronze – Rococo house

Best flavoured milk organic chocolate bar

Silver – Rococo Sea salt

Best drinking chocolate

Gold – Rococo organic
           
Silver – Rococo Spiced organic
Silver – William Curley
           
Bronze – Grenada Chocolate Company ‘Smilo’ www.rococochocolates.com

Judges included Chantal Coady, Bill McCarrick, Damian Allsop, Marie Pierre Moine, Martin Christy, Sara Jayne Stanes, Chloe Doutre-Roussel, Sarah Jane Evans, Fiona Gately plus a team of journalists and chocolate professionals to support us.  The judging process took place over 2 ½ days and it was an extremely tough job amidst a wealth of chocolate products that represented talent, skills, enthusiasm and serious quality chocolate.

Sara Jayne Stanes chairman of the Academy of Chocolate says of the Awards “This is our second year and the number of entries confirms the confidence that the chocolate industry has in the credibility and significance of our Awards.  The outstanding quality of the winners gives us great confidence for the future. It is so rewarding to see a growing number of highly creative and perceptive chocolate makers stretching the boundaries of talent and taste and, at the same time, paying significant attention to the highest quality, character and provenance of the chocolate – in harmony with the Academy’s ethos to ‘look beyond the label’.

We hope that these annual Awards will begin to help consumers, retailers and restaurateurs to make enlightened choices about the chocolate they buy. However, we did feel that there is plenty of work to done on the milk chocolate categories. In 2007 we look forward to seeing some of those again who were not successful this year as well as many new entries”.

The Academy of Chocolate was set up in June 2005 to encourage consumers 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.

For more information visit www.academyofchocolate.org.uk

Amedei Chuao is produced by master chocolate maker Cecilia Tessieri who along with her brother Alessio produce a small range of specialist chocolates from their base in Pisa, Tuscany. www.amedei.com

William Curley’s chocolate shop is at 10 Paved Court, Richmond, TW9 1LZ. Tel: 020 8332 3002 www.williamcurley.co.uk

Paul A Young Fine Chocolates is at 33 Camden Passage, Islington, London, N1 8EA. Tel: 020 7424 5750. www.payoung.net