Nelson company Hogarth Craft Chocolate has scored what is believed to be a first for NZ-made chocolate, winning a gold award in the flavoured dark chocolate bar section of the 2017 Academy of Chocolate Awards. The annual Chocolate Awards are open to entries from all around the world, and this year’s ceremony will be presented at Claridge’s in London in July.
This year’s awards attracted almost double the amount of entries as 2016, with more than 600 entries submitted for judging in the chocolate bar categories alone. Awards are given based on several rounds of blind tasting by Academy of Chocolate members, and a panel of international experts in food and chocolate. Chocolate is judged on a range of criteria including its appearance, depth of aroma, flavour and complexity.
Hogarth won gold in the Flavoured Dark Chocolate Bar category for its Dark Hazelnut Gianduia bar, one of only six gold award winners in that category. Hogarth also received silver in the Dark Bean Bar Under 80% Cocoa Solids category for both its Acul du Nord Haiti and Gran Blanco Peru bars.
“We were delighted to receive the news of our success,” says Marina Hogarth, “especially when we realised that all three of the chocolate bars we had entered had won awards.”
“It’s great to be putting New Zealand-made chocolate on the map internationally,” says Karl Hogarth. “Judging by the number of entries this year, it’s clear that there is huge growth in the craft chocolate market both here and globally. We’re particularly excited that our Gianduia chocolate uses a special variety of hazelnuts grown in Nelson.”
Hogarth Craft Chocolate is distributed around New Zealand and is exported to the UK, US, Paris, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia. The company’s annual turnover has doubled in the last year and is expected to continue to increase as more lovers of beautiful bean-to-bar chocolate discover Hogarth Craft Chocolate.
“It’s so satisfying to see people tasting and enjoying our chocolate,” says Karl, “and it shows that New Zealanders are ready to embrace high-quality chocolate.”
Did you know?
Karl and Marina Hogarth craft their chocolate from single-origin raw cacao beans through to the finished tablet. The cacao beans are purchased via direct trade with suppliers, ensuring that all Hogarth Chocolate is ethically sourced. Each Hogarth Craft Chocolate product has a different level of pure cacao and a distinctive flavour reflecting its origins.
