Contents of the Academy of Chocolate goody bag
The Academy Awards. The name conjures images of red carpets, glamour and gorgeous outfits, celebrities and tearful speeches.
When I was little I used to watch the Oscars on television and wish that one day I’d get to go to the Academy Awards. I probably should have been more specific. On the other hand, these Academy Awards, celebrating artistic talent in chocolate, are really more my thing than a celebration of artistic talent in drama. For one, there was chocolate!
Marc Demarquette celebrating his Academy of Chocolate Award
This was the second Academy of Chocolate Awards ceremony that had been held (the first was in 2009, I distinctly remember it being HOT and all the chocolates melting). This year they were held in the quintessentially English tea room fourth floor of Fortnum & Mason’s, the oldest grocers in England, founded in the same year as Great Britain became Great Britain (1707). An appropriate venue. The Awards were actually announced a few weeks ago, last Wednesday was the official celebration of the triumph of various chocolatiers from the UK and all around the world. An evening full of many of the wonderful people who inhabit the gorgeous world of chocolate here in London and those who had travelled from Italy, Hungary, the US and more.
Well done to the Academy committee for organising a great evening and congratulations to all of the bronze, silver and gold award winners and in particular to the winners of the Golden Bean Awards (like mounted cocoa pod trophies?):
Amedei No. 9 – best dark chocolate bean to bar
Duffy Sheardown – best newcomer to the chocolate world for his bean-to-bar- business in North Yorkshire.
The Winners of The Academy of Chocolate Golden Bean Awards: Rococo, Amedei and Red Star Chocolates
Best Chocolatier was a three-way tie! Decided on who won the most Gold Awards it was an equal race between the following three superb chocolatiers:
William Curley
Laurent Couchaux (Rococo)
Keith Hurdman of (Thornton’s)
Love that photo of Marc!
And the one of Kate and Paul, where Paul is moving so fast, as usual, that he’s a blur! Action Paul!
I had fun judging and did a post on my blog with my personal favourites, all of which did win awards, to my delight!
Ah yes, I meant to write a bit about the judging. Hard work. When I did it in 2009 there were 40 people each day, so many of them were green by the end of each session I’m not surprised it was harder to persuade them to return!
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Will check out your post Kavey!
I adore chocolate, I admire you! From Romania.