Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s Manam Chocolate has won honours at the inaugural Indian Craft Chocolate Competition 2026, part of a select group of Indian chocolate makers recognised by the International Chocolate Awards in what organisers are calling a milestone for the country’s craft chocolate industry.
Manam Chocolate featured among a clutch of winners that included Savorworks Roasters, Paul and Mike, Chitra’m Craft Chocolates, Anuttama, PASCATI, Baker’s Artisanal Recipes and Subko Cacao, with gold, silver and bronze awards handed out across multiple categories.
The competition was organised by the International Chocolate Awards in collaboration with the Indian Cacao & Craft Chocolate Festival, and introduces an internationally recognised framework for evaluating Indian craft chocolate for the first time.
The winners, including Manam, will be felicitated at an awards ceremony during the fifth edition of the festival in December.
Blind-tasting panel judged entries
Entries were submitted by craft chocolate makers from across the country and evaluated through a blind-tasting process by an international panel of certified tasters and sensory experts from the International Chocolate Awards. Chocolates were judged across categories including dark, milk and white chocolate bars, bonbons, truffles, dragées and speciality products, with parameters such as flavour, texture, balance, craftsmanship and appearance factored into the scoring.
‘Tremendous potential’
Martin Christy, founder of the International Chocolate Awards, said the competition was meant to do more than recognise medal winners, and was aimed at building a culture of excellence through rigorous evaluation and feedback that would help makers benchmark themselves against global standards. He said the quality, creativity and diversity of entries from India had been impressive, and that the country had the potential to become one of the world’s leading craft chocolate destinations.
Organisers said the competition is intended to become an annual fixture supporting the growth of India’s craft chocolate sector.
The winners will be celebrated at the Indian Cacao & Craft Chocolate Festival, to be held on December 4-6 at Sabha in Bengaluru, where chocolate makers, cacao growers, chefs and industry professionals from across the country are expected to converge.
