As part of our commitment to transparency, we publish the names of the judges for each competition. (If judges opt-in for their names to be made public.)

Each competition is judged by a panel of experts, food journalists, sommeliers and pastry chefs, including the names listed below. The competition is overseen by members of our international Grand Jury, who travel to each competition.

We would like to thank our judges for their hard work, including any who chose for their names not to be listed. You can find the full list of winners for this competition in our ‘Rounds & results’ section.

Reshma Adwar (United States), Montclair State University

Marie Ambrose (United States), Montclair State University Student

Yeon Bai (United States), Montclair State University

Carol A. Berman (United States), Class in a Glass/Take Home Sommelier

Ricardo Berrios (Belgium), Montclair State University

Dirk Beyersdorff (United States), Toshoku America / Cargill / International Sales Manager, Cocoa

Kathy Blake (United States), Food Writer, Chef, Recipe Developer, The Experimental Gourmand

Karine Chrétien Guillemette (Canada), Miss Choco (La Tablette de Miss Choco)

Martin Christy (United Kingdom), Seventy%, Permanent Grand Jury

Scott Craig (United States), DallasFood.org, DallasFood.org

Sara Delgado (United States), Montclair State University/Adjunct Professor

Edward Enriquez (United States), Harvard University – Graduate Student & Small Business Owner of Australian Scent

Jessica Ferraro (United States), Bar Cacao, Bar Cacao

Joseph Fontanilla (United States), Student

George Gensler (United States), Manhattan Chocolate Society, Permanent Grand Jury

Megan Giller (United States), Chocolate Noise/journalist, Chocolate Noise

Clay Gordon (United States), The Chocolate Life, TheChocolateLife

Adrienne Henson (United States), Joys Of Chocolate/also day job at Hotel Chocolat

Nai Kalema (United States), MIT

Robin Kanarek (United States), Tufts University/ Professor

Luanne Koper (United States), Editor

Jim Koper (United States), Aerospace Engineer, JK Chocolate Truffles

Astrid Kurnianta (United States), Mars Chocolate North America

Anelisa Lauri (United States), Baruch College: Adjunct Lecturer/Program Manager, Chocolate Blogger, Chocolate Driven

Caroline McDonald (United States), Les Dames D’Escoffier, Managing Director – Strategic Success Group

Tracy Memoli (United States), Suite & Savory, Suite & Savory

Anastassios Mentis (United States), PHILOKALIA LLC, Anastassios Mentis

Monica Meschini (Italy), Chocolate/Tea Taster, Wine Sommelier, Permanent Grand Jury

Cynthia Michalik (United States), Cynthia Ann Desserts

Marilyn Michalik (United States), jk chocolate truffles

Angela Morresi (United States), Student

Kavita Patel (United States), Whole Foods Market / Senior Director of Marketing

Maricel Presilla (United States), Chef, Restaurateur, Author, Permanent Grand Jury

Alex Rast (United Kingdom), Consultant, Reviewer, Seventy% , Permanent Grand Jury

Monica Rogan (United States), Goodnow Farms Chocolate

Kanako Satsutani (Japan), Tomoé Saveur / Fine Chocolate Distributor, Chocolate Expert, Tomoé Saveur

Ellen Schnepel (United States), Principal, Crik-Crak Chocolate Connections

Sabena Singh (United States), Pastry cook/taste tester

Amy Singh (United States), Student

Thomas Smyth (United States), Cuny Kingsborough Community College, Director Culinary Arts

John Specchio (United States), Professor, Health and Nutrition Sciences, Montclair State University

Maria Stanish (United States), Montclair State University

Lucille Tang (United States), Montclair State University

Joy Thaler (United States), Cocoa Compassion

Curtis Vreeland (United States), Vreeland & Associates

Shahla Wunderlich (United States), Montclair State University

Melissa Zhang (United States), Ruskin International Communications