Academy of Chocolate Awards for Northern Ireland chocolatier

Ten Watch Chocolates in Northern Ireland has won four awards in the industry’s prestigious Academy of Chocolate Awards.

The artisan chocolatier, which is based at Randalstown, near Antrim, gained four bronze awards for its delicious filled bonbons in the annual competition. The bronze awards for four bonbon flavours – Irish Coffee, Beurre Noisette, Hazelnut, and Salt Caramel.

The gourmet chocolates are handcrafted by Lawri Dowie (31), an experienced chef and baker, who set up the small enterprise in late 2019 and has been selling the bonbons at food markets in Northern Ireland. The chocolates have won at previous Academy of Chocolate and also a gold at the Blas na hEireann, the Irish National Food Awards held annually in Dingle, county Kerry in the Republic of Ireland, and the UK Great Taste Awards.

Launched in 2005, the influential Academy of Chocolate Awards seek to identify, recognise and showcase the world’s most talented producers and the finest chocolates.

The awards have gone from strength over the years in line with the growth of the fine chocolate sector. In its first year, there were just 12 entries to the awards. By 2019, entries had grown to a record-breaking 1,600 from more than 45 countries. Belfast chocolatier Deirdre McCanny was the first success for Northern Ireland.

The awards are judged by a panel of chocolatiers, producers, journalists, bloggers, food writers and other chocolate experts across the industry. Held every year in London, the judges choose the best entries in categories such as Bean to Bar, Tree to Bar, Flavoured, Milk and White Bars, Filled Chocolates, Spreads and Packaging.

Products are judged on appearance, depth of aroma, and flavour, length and complexity for gold, silver and bronze winners.

The academy, also founded in 2005, is focused on increasing awareness of the difference between fine chocolate and mass produced chocolate confectionery. It seeks to achieve this objective by encouraging chocolate lovers to look beyond the label to recognise ‘real chocolate’ and the massed produced varieties. It also aims to improve the standard and knowledge of chocolate across the globe by promoting ingredients of chocolate through the supply chain, from bean to bar. In addition, the academy seeks to encourage the transparency of cocoa beans from the plantations and their production in socially fair and environmentally undamaging conditions.