Top international award for Belfast chocolatier

Co Couture, Northern Ireland's award-winning artisan chocolatier, has been successful again in this year's prestigious Academy of Chocolate Awards.

The Belfast-based business, which is owned by Deirdre McCanny, a qualified chef and experienced chocolatier, gained a silver award in the Flavoured Milk Chocolate Bar category for its Date and Pecan 56% cocoa bar.

It's the latest in a series of awards won by the artisan business, which was the only company from Northern Ireland to feature in the awards.

Co Couture has been producing a wide range of handmade chocolates in small batches since 2008. It has won Academy of Chocolate awards for its products.

This year's awards attracted entries from producers all over the world and recognised some of the world's finest chocolates. They were judged by the Academy of Chocolate and by a panel of international journalists, chefs, pastry chefs and experts in chocolate and food.

Gold, Silver and Bronze have been awarded to all entries that meet the required standard for those awards.

The Academy of Chocolate was founded in 2005 by five of Britain's leading chocolate professionals, united in the belief that eating fine chocolate is one of life's great pleasures.

Academy members meet to taste, discuss, demonstrate and debate issues regarding sourcing, transparency and the journey from bean to bar. The academy is also committed to transparency in sourcing cocoa and fair treatment of growers. Members of the Academy are committed to ethically sourced chocolate

The Academy of Chocolate defines fine chocolate as:
• containing no vegetable fat other than cocoa butter
• with a minimum cocoa content of: Dark 60%; Milk 30%; White 30% (cocoa butter)
• where the quality, provenance and treatment of the cocoa beans have been considered
• containing no artificial additives such as vanillin, flavourings, colourings, preservatives, etc.