Awards for Belfast chocolatier
Co Couture, the Northern Ireland based gourmet chocolatier, has struck gold “and bronze” at the fourth annual Academy of Chocolate Awards. It’s the first time a company from Ireland has been successful at the awards.
The small company, formed in 2008 by chef Deirdre McCanny, gained a gold award for its honeycomb bar in the Best Flavoured Milk Chocolate Bar’ category and bronze for its rum and raisin bar in the Best Flavoured Dark Chocolate Bar’ category. The Academy of Chocolate awards follow Co Couture’s success in winning a series of Great Taste Awards last year.
McCanny says, “Winning gold and bronze awards at the first attempt is a marvellous endorsement by fellow gourmet chocolatiers. This will help me as I step up my marketing drive to win business in the markets that I have pinpointed as offering the best growth potential for luxury chocolates.”
The awards received a record number of entries with over 400 products. As a result the judging was extended to four days, and there were more judges than ever ” a minimum of 25 on each day including chocolate experts and buyers, pastry chefs, food professionals and food journalists. There were an increased number of entries in the bean to bar category indicating that more chocolate makers are entering the awards.
The Academy of Chocolate was created in 2005 by five of Britain’s leading chocolate professionals, united in the belief that chocolate is one of life’s great pleasures. Membership has since grown but the aim remains the same, to campaign for better chocolate and promote a greater awareness between fine chocolate and mass-produced chocolate confectionery.
