The Academy of Chocolate Awards will aim to discover the most talented chocolate producers and their products from around the world. 

Chocolatiers are able to enter multiple products across five categories including bars, filled chocolates, drinking chocolates, chocolate spreads and brand awareness. 

Sara Jayne Stanes OBE, chairman, Academy of Chocolate, said: “We are delighted to launch our 12th awards this year. In 2005, I could barely dream that the artisan chocolate world would have flourished and identified so many talented chocolatiers and chocolate makers from across the world.

“In addition, the close relationships of the chocolate makers and the cocoa growers have helped both to understand each other’s needs and challenges – resulting in ongoing experimentation and products with complexity and character not previously tasted. What will the next 15 years bring?”   

Judging sessions will take place at Westminster Kingsway College in London over a 16-week period between February and May 2020. Products will be judged on appearance, depth of aroma, flavour, length and complexity to determine the gold, silver and bronze winners in each category.  

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in July 2020 including the Golden Bean award, which recognises the achievement of a producer controlling the entire process from roasting the bean to the finished product. 

Launched in 2005, the Academy of Chocolate Awards has grown from strength to strength. In the first year there were 12 entries and by 2019 there were 1,600 submissions from 45 countries.  

Producers and chocolatiers can enter, via: https://academyofchocolate.org.uk.