New Zealand chocolate takes world stage
A Nelson craft chocolate maker is in for a flurry of awards for its boutique products. Bean-to-bar chocolate maker Hogarth Craft Chocolate, won a gold award in the flavoured, dark chocolate bar section of the 2017 Academy of Chocolate Awards, and had been named as a finalist in three categories of the International Chocolate Awards.
The Academy of Chocolate was set up in 2005 in the UK, to promote awareness about the difference between fine chocolate and mass-produced. The International Chocolate Awards started in 2012, and were run by a group of independent international partners in the UK,
It's great to be putting New Zealand-made chocolate on the map internationally. Hogarth Chocolate co-founder Karl Hogarth.
Italy and the United States.
Hogarth Craft Chocolate only started two years ago at the Nelson Saturday Market. It is now distributed around New Zealand and exported to the UK, United States, Paris, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.
Awards are won based on blind tastings by Academy of Chocolate members and a panel of international experts in food and chocolate.
Hogarth won gold in the Flavoured Dark Chocolate Bar category for its Dark Hazelnut Gianduia bar, one of only six gold award winners in the category. Hogarth also received silver in the Dark Bean to Bar, Under 80 per cent Cocoa Solids category for both its Acul du Nord Haiti and Gran Blanco Peru bars.
Hogarth Craft Chocolate founders Marina and Karl Hogarth, were delighted with the wins. ‘‘Especially when we realised all three of the chocolate bars entered had won awards,’’ Marina said. Karl said the the pair were happy their Gianduia chocolate won an award because it used a variety of hazelnuts grown in Nelson. The awards will be presented at Claridge’s hotel in London, in July.