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Mahurangi residents and visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to top level chocolate, if results from the recent NZ Chocolate Awards are anything to go by.
Four of the region’s chocolate makers came away with more than 20 awards and medals for their bars, bonbons and novelty chocs at this year’s awards, which were judged in Auckland last month.
Foundry Chocolate, based at Mahurangi West, Warkworth’s Chocolate Brown and Dekadenz from Pahi, near Paparoa, all scored category wins and a raft of medals, and there were medals for Honest Chocolat in Matakana as well. And although supreme winner Lucid Chocolatier is not based locally, its founder
Johnty Tatham cut his chocolate-making teeth in the district, working first with Nico Bonnaud at Honest Chocolat and getting tips and advice from Foundry’s David Herrick.
Foundry is no stranger to success at the awards, having been supreme winner in 2020, and this year
David and wife Janelle were the single largest medal winners, collecting eight gold, three silver and two bronze medals, as well winning the drinking chocolate category.
Judges said Foundry’s Pinalum, Malekula Island, Vanuatu drinking chocolate had a well-developed, full flavour, was balanced and had “a lovely silky melt”.
David Herrick makes all Foundry’s craft chocolate bars and drinking chocolate from scratch, sourcing cacao beans from all over the world before roasting, grinding, tempering and transforming them into a range of single origin products. No flavours are added, just organic cane sugar, but every bar tastes different, depending where the cacao comes from.
“You can really taste the difference – so from Vanuatu, you get malt and caramel characters, Mexico, nuts and fruit, others have amazing citrus flavours,” he said.
The boutique bars are sold online and in specialist stores across NZ and internationally, and are stocked locally by Matakana’s Village Picnic and at Chocolate Brown in Warkworth, which itself won six medals and the children’s choice category in the awards.
Business owner Susan Vize said the awards for their hazelnut gianduja-filled white chocolate hedgehog and five other filled chocolates was a tremendous achievement for Chocolate Brown, especially head chocolatier Amanda Casci and her team, who had been working together for barely 12 months.
Casci is a trained chef, but her passion is patisserie and she has spent the past year perfecting and refining the Chocolate Brown range – something that has swiftly paid dividends.
“It’s in my blood – my grandfather and great-grandfather were both confectioners who came over from Italy,” she said.
Russian-born Tatiana White is also a chef by training, but after taking chocolate-making classes in Auckland 10 years ago, established her Dekadenz brand when she moved to Pahi in 2015. Her colourful Christmas treat filled chocolate won the Christmas and novelty category, and she also came away with six medals.
Judges said the fruit mince-flavoured chocolate was exquisite, with accomplished surface painting, a subtle balanced flavour and moreish – “a real all occasion chocolate”.
This was the first time White had entered the awards and she said she couldn’t believe it when she found out about the wins.
“It’s fantastic, I didn’t expect it at all,” she said. “I was laughing when I heard about it, I couldn’t believe it.”
Dekadenz chocolates are sold locally in Waipu, Maungaturoto and the Paparoa Store, with more outlets expected to be added in future. White also makes bespoke chocolates and gift baskets for weddings and businesses, and runs occasional chocolate-making classes.
The 2022 awards were decided by a panel of 16 specialist food judges, who had the enviable task of sampling and savouring more than 150 different chocolate products.
New Zealand Chocolate Awards
Christmas and Novelty
Dekadenz, Christmas Treat
Kids’ Favourite
Chocolate Brown, White Chocolate Hedgehog
Drinking Chocolate
Foundry Chocolate, Pinalum, Malekula Island, Vanuatu
Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Bars, Plain
Gold
Foundry Chocolate, Anamalai Estate, India 70%
Foundry Chocolate, Kilombero Valley, Tanzania 70%
Foundry Chocolate, Kulkul, Karkar Island, Papua New Guinea 70%
Foundry Chocolate, Pinalum, Malekula Island, Vanuatu 70%
Foundry Chocolate, Soconusco, Chiapas, Mexico 70%
Silver
Foundry Chocolate, Semuliki Forest, Uganda 70%
Foundry Chocolate, Kulkul, Karkar Island, Papua New Guinea 90%
Foundry Chocolate, Kilombero Valley, Tanzania 100%
Flavoured Chocolate Bars
Gold
Honest Chocolat, Flat White Dark Milk tablet
Filled Chocolates – Truffles & Bonbons
Gold
Chocolate Brown, Gianduja Date Stuffed and Dipped
Dekadenz, Irish Liqueur
Dekadenz, Raspberry Framboise
Dekadenz, Chilli & Mint
Silver
Chocolate Brown, Brandy Snap
Chocolate Brown, Plum & Gin
Bronze
Chocolate Brown, Kahlua Heart
Dekadenz, Apricot
Dekadenz, Salted Caramel
Honest Chocolat, Rhubarb & Custard
Christmas Novelties
Gold
Dekadenz, Christmas Treat
Drinking Chocolate
Gold
Foundry Chocolate, Kilombero Valley, Tanzania
Foundry Chocolate, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
Foundry Chocolate, Pinalum, Malekula Island, Vanuatu
Kids’ Favourite
Gold
Chocolate Brown, White Hedgehog
Silver
Chocolate Brown, Green Caramel Frog
