Nelson craft chocolate wins gold

A Nelson chocolate company has put New Zealand ’’on the map’’ by winning gold in a global competition.

Hogarth Craft Chocolate won a gold award in the flavoured dark chocolate bar section of the Academy of Chocolate Awards in London.

The winning variety was dark hazelnut gianduia, made using hazelnuts grown in Nelson.

The accolade is believed to be a first for New Zealand-made chocolate.

The company, which started from humble beginnings at the Nelson Market, also won a silver award in the dark bean-to-bar under 80 per cent cocoa solids category for its Peru and Haiti varieties.

Hogarth was inspired to start making chocolate after reading a magazine article about artisan chocolatiers in the United States.

‘‘We were delighted to receive the news of our success, especially when we realised all three of the chocolate bars we had entered had won,’’ Marina Hogarth said.

The 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.

‘‘It’s great to be putting New Zealand-made chocolate on the map internationally,’’ Karl Hogarth said.

The awards ceremony will be held in London next month.