PHL artisan chocolates bag total of 24 awards in five headline categories of Academy of Chocolate Awards

Five artisan chocolate brands from the Philippines took home sweet success at the recently announced 11th Academy of Chocolate (AoC) Awards in London.

Filipino chocolatiers Auro Chocolate, Malagos Agri-Ventures, MS3 Agri-Ventures, Dalareich Food Products, and Theo and Philo Artisan Chocolates bagged a total of 24 awards in five headline categories: bars, filled chocolates, drinking chocolate, chocolate spreads, and packaging.

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The Academy of Chocolate, which was launched in 2005, received over a thousand entries from all over the world for the 2019 awards.

According to AoC’s call for entries in 2018, “more than 100 expert judges will make up the panel, including leading chocolatiers and some of the UK’s most prominent food writers and bloggers” over a 25-session judging period which lasts 12 weeks “to mark the products on appearance, depth of aroma and flavour, length, and complexity.”

Dalareich Food Products is based in Bohol, while the four other award-winning chocolates source their cacao from farms in Davao.

Auro Chocolates, which recently celebrated its 2nd year anniversary, took home 10 awards this year. “It’s a proud moment for us and Philippine chocolate… It’s an honor to showcase the persistence of everyone involved when it comes to making great chocolate,” Auro Chocolates announced on their Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Malagos Chocolates celebrated their 34th international award and urged everyone to help plant cacao trees “to help countryside development.”

Theo & Philo, which earned 7 awards and 3 commendations, said these awards are “another great sign that Philippine cacao and chocolate is making its own mark in the world of chocolate.”

Check the complete list of winners here. — LA, GMA News