Entries open for the inaugural NZ Chocolate Awards

Entries open for the inaugural NZ Chocolate Awards

For Immediate Release Tuesday 1 August 2017

New Zealand chocolate makers are invited to enter the inaugural New Zealand Chocolate Awards.

Organised by Intermedia and Marvellous Marketing, the NZ Chocolate Awards is an unprecedented opportunity for producers to benchmark their chocolate. Medals bestowed by the NZ Chocolate Awards will provide consumers with an independent endorsement of quality, making it easier for them to buy locally made chocolate with confidence.

The Awards focus is on chocolate crafted in New Zealand. That means chocolate made in NZ from imported cacao. The NZ Made categories are; Best Bean-to-Bar, Best Chocolate Bar, Best Chocolate Truffle/Ganache/Filled/Bonbons and Best Filled Chocolate (including Bonbons). A special class has been added for international chocolate. Additional awards will be made for Best New Zealand Made Drinking Chocolate, Best Collaborative Product Using a Premium New Zealand Chocolate Brand (examples include but are not limited to; chocolate flavoured milk, chocolate ice-cream, chocolate peanut butter). A full list of entry categories is here.

NZ Chocolate Awards organisers have assembled an esteemed collection of food and flavour experts as judges. The panel is being led by local chocolate industry professionals; Luke Owen-Smith of the Chocolate Bar in Wellington and Tony Robson Burrell of All About Chocolate. Other judges are: Karl Hogarth, chocolate maker; Sam Mannering, chef and food writer; Helen Jackson, food writer; Anna-Tait Jamieson, food editor NZ Life & Leisure; Julie Le Clerc, food writer; Tamara Rubanowski, editor FMCG Business; Mitsuharu Hoshi, Pastry Chef, Hip Group; Niki Bezzant, President Food Writers NZ; Trudi Nelson, media personality and owner Fresh.co.nz; Lorna Subritzky, Coast FM; Kathy Paterson, food writer; Ganesh Khedekar, head pastry chef at LSG Sky Chefs; and Vicki Ravlich-Horan, editor of Nourish magazine.

Awards entry for chocolate makers is simple and is to be completed online at www.nzchocolateawards.co.nz. Chocolate producers must organise for their samples to arrive in Auckland on Monday 4 or Tuesday 5 September 2017.

Judging will be held at the Fresh Factory in Auckland on Wednesday 6 September with results announced on Monday 18 September. Many of the winning chocolates will be available at the Chocolate and Coffee Show on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 September 2017 at The Cloud in Auckland.

CONSUMER VOTING
Kiwi chocolate lovers also have a chance to get involved. Consumer are invited to vote for New Zealand’s Favourite Chocolate brand and the café serving the country’s favourite hot chocolate. Chocolate Lovers’ vote online at the awards website www.nzchocolateawards.co.nz with every vote going into the draw to win a gourmet hamper of NZ’s finest chocolate.

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