European Bar Semi Final Competition 2016 – Winners

The International Chocolate Awards is pleased to announce the Winners of the 2016 European Bar semi-final Competition, which was judged in Amsterdam, 10 – 13 June, 2016 at the Hilton Amsterdam.

This year, to celebrate Amsterdam’s role as a focus of the new European fine and micro-batch chocolate movement, the judging was held with the support of the iconic Hilton Amsterdam hotel, famous for John and Yoko’s 1969 “bed-in for peace”, and now home of the annual Chocoa Grand Diner du Chocolat, prepared by the Hilton’s Roberto’s Restaurant chef Franz Conde and Grand Jury member Maricel Presilla.

Judges

The judging panel included regular European judges, along with pastry chefs, restaurateurs, journalists and other specialists from the local area and members of our international Grand Jury panel.

Prizes

This was the second international competition devoted to plain unflavoured and origin chocolate bars made in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This was the regional round for plain/origin chocolate bars, winners will go through to World Final in London in October 2016. All judging is anonymised, including at the Grand Jury final session, where Golds, Silver and Bronze prizes are awarded by private voting according to the Grand Jury rules.

Prizes are awarded only to entries that meet the required standard for each prize.

View details of our sponsors and partners here.

(Prizes are shown in alphabetical order for each medal)


'Best in competition' overall winners

Plain/origin dark bar categories

Gold: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Selva Maya

Plain/origin milk bar categories

Gold: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Java

Plain/origin bars

Plain/origin dark chocolate bars

Gold: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Selva Maya

Silver: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Cacao Real Del Xoconuzco

Silver: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Haiti

Silver: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Kaori

Silver: Chocolaterie Morin  (France) - Nicaragua Nicalizo

Silver: Chocolaterie Morin  (France) - Nicaragua Rugoso

Silver: Chocolaterie Morin  (France) - Pérou Chanchamayo

Silver: Friis-Holm Chokolade  (Denmark) - Chuno 70% - Double Turned

Silver: Friis-Holm Chokolade  (Denmark) - Chuno 70% - Tripple Turned

Silver: Friis-Holm Chokolade  (Denmark) - Johe 70%

Silver: Friis-Holm Chokolade  (Denmark) - O'Payo Organic 68%

Silver: Friis-Holm Chokolade  (Denmark) - Rugoso 70% - Bad Fermentation

Silver: Michel Cluizel  (France) - Plantation Vila Gracinda

Bronze: Åkesson's  (United Kingdom) - Akesson's Bali 75% Trinitario Cocoa ( * Couverture chez Pralus, Bars chez Damiens)

Bronze: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Hacienda el Rosario

Bronze: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Puerto Cabello

Bronze: Chocolaterie Morin  (France) - Pérou Pablino

Bronze: Chocolaterie Morin  (France) - Pérou Quilla

Bronze: Delicacao Berlin  (Germany) - Tafel Bali

Bronze: Friis-Holm Chokolade  (Denmark) - Indio Rojo 70%

Bronze: Friis-Holm Chokolade  (Denmark) - Nicaliso 70%

Bronze: Friis-Holm Chokolade  (Denmark) - Rugoso 70%

Bronze: Guido Castagna  (Italy) - Raw Madagascar

Bronze: Holy Cacao Chocolate  (Israel) - 70% Madagascar

Micro-batch - Plain/origin dark chocolate bars

Gold: Pangea Chocolate  (Spain) - Brazil Fazenda Camboa 76%

Silver: Ajala Chocolate  (Czech Republic) - Dark Chocolate 70%

Silver: Ara Chocolat  (France) - Guasare Criollo 72% - 72 hours fermentation

Silver: Ara Chocolat  (France) - La Sabana 70%

Silver: Ara Chocolat  (France) - Porcelana 70%

Silver: J.Cocoa  (United Kingdom) - 66% Dark Chocolate Tenor Variety

Silver: Omnom Chocolate  (Iceland) - Madagascar 66%

Silver: Solkiki Chocolatemaker  (United Kingdom) - 68% Pure Nacional - Fortunato No.4 - Rough Maranon

Silver: Zart Pralinen Chocolate Makers  (Austria) - Kokoa Kamili 70%

Bronze: Ara Chocolat  (France) - Agua Fria 70%

Bronze: Ben Le Prevost Chocolatier  (United Kingdom) - Madagasacar

Bronze: Chocolaterie Laia  (France) - 75% Sao Tome - Diogo Vaz - Forastero

Bronze: Chocolatoa  (Belgium) - Chocolatoa Costa Rica Nahua Maleku 75%

Bronze: Krak  (Netherlands) - Belize

Bronze: Krak  (Netherlands) - Vietnam Region: Ben Tre

High % plain/origin dark chocolate bars (85% and over)

Gold: Chocolate Tree  (United Kingdom) - Venezuela Porcelana 85%

Silver: Åkesson's  (United Kingdom) - Madagascar 100% Criollo Cocoa ( * Couverture chez Pralus, Bars chez Damiens)

Silver: Holy Cacao Chocolate  (Israel) - 100% Cacao

Bronze: Chocolat Madagascar  (Madagascar) - Dark 85% Cocoa

Bronze: Malmö Chokladfabrik  (Sweden) - Peru 85%

Bronze: Metiisto Artisan Chocolate  (Australia) - Tanzania 85%

Bronze: Raoul Boulanger  (France) - Los Rios 100%

Bronze: Zart Pralinen Chocolate Makers  (Austria) - Kokoa Kamili 85%

Plain/origin dark chocolate bars made with alternative natural sugar

Silver: Forever Cacao  (United Kingdom) - 72% Ashaninka Bean to Bar

Plain/origin milk chocolate bars

Gold: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Java

Silver: Chocolaterie Morin  (France) - Vietnam Lait 48%

Silver: Francois Pralus  (France) - Pralus Bar 100G 45% Melissa

Silver: Malmö Chokladfabrik  (Sweden) - BJÖRN of Sweden Milk Chocolate 40%

Bronze: Heilemann  (Germany) - Heilemann Vietnam 45%

Bronze: Idilio Origins  (Switzerland) - Idilio 15 Idilio con leche ( * Felchlin)

Micro-batch - Plain/origin milk chocolate bars

Gold: Omnom Chocolate  (Iceland) - Milk of Madagascar 45%

Silver: J.Cocoa  (United Kingdom) - 30% Milk chocolate Chuno Variety

Bronze: J.Cocoa  (United Kingdom) - 30% Milk chocolate Nicalizo Variety

Bronze: Metiisto Artisan Chocolate  (Australia) - Madagascar dark milk 56%


National awards

Given to Grand Jury finalists when there are 10 or more entries from one country in a category

Plain/origin dark chocolate bars


Gold – French: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Selva Maya

Micro-batch - Plain/origin dark chocolate bars


Gold – British: Solkiki Chocolatemaker  (United Kingdom) - 68% Pure Nacional - Fortunato No.4 - Rough Maranon

Gold – French: Ara Chocolat  (France) - Porcelana 70%

Special awards

Given for entries that qualify for the special category criteria

Plain/origin dark chocolate bars

Gold – Chocolate Maker: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Selva Maya
Gold – Directly Traded: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Selva Maya

Micro-batch - Plain/origin dark chocolate bars

Gold – Chocolate Maker: Pangea Chocolate  (Spain) - Brazil Fazenda Camboa 76%
Gold – Directly Traded: Pangea Chocolate  (Spain) - Brazil Fazenda Camboa 76%

Plain/origin milk chocolate bars

Gold – Chocolate Maker: Bonnat Chocolatier  (France) - Java
Gold – Directly Traded: Francois Pralus  (France) - Pralus Bar 100G 45% Melissa

Micro-batch - Plain/origin milk chocolate bars

Gold – Chocolate Maker: Omnom Chocolate  (Iceland) - Milk of Madagascar 45%
Gold – Directly Traded: Omnom Chocolate  (Iceland) - Milk of Madagascar 45%

(*)  Declared chocolate maker for private label bars.

(**) Winner has declared the product is made with their own bean-to-bar chocolate or couverture.