Great Taste Awards 2025 Winners

Three stars: Ocelot - Virunga, Dr Congo, Dark 70% with Black Cherry

Ocelot have combined their fruity, smoky 70% dark chocolate with pieces of fragrant black cherries. The chocolate is smooth, and the tart cherries elevate the flavour profile of the bar.

Three stars: Ocelot - Virunga, DR Congo, Dark 70% with Blood Orange

This bar from Ocelot is the craft chocolate version of the much-loved British ‘chocolate orange’. The smooth 70% chocolate has been infused with tangy blood oranges, and a splash of creamy vanilla.

Three stars: Standout - Maya Mountain, Belize Dark 70%

This bar has notes of summer berries, characterised by blackberry and raisin as well as an indulgent chocolate brownie flavour and and buttery finish.

Two stars: Ocelot - Virunga, DR Congo, Dark 70% with Salt

This bar has been sprinkled with hand-harvested Scottish sea salt, which cuts through the fruity, smoky flavours of the beans perfectly.

Two stars: Ocelot – Virunga, DR Congo, Dark Milk 50% with Buckwheat

This 50% dark milk from Ocelot is creamy, citrusy, and with a typical buckwheat flavour.

Two stars: ChocoMe – Bejofo, Madagascar, Dark 69% with Candied Yuzu Peel

With Åkesson’s Madagascan cocoa beans already bursting with bright citrus and red berry notes, ChocoMe thought it felt only natural to pair them with something equally bold — candied yuzu peel. Yuzu, a prized citrus fruit from Japan, adds an unmistakable zesty, tangy flavour with just a touch of bitterness. Together, they create a bar that’s vibrant, aromatic, and full of character — a perfect meeting of terroir and taste.

Two stars: ChocoMe – Akesson, Madagascar, Dark 69%

A 69% dark chocolate bar made from Madagascan cocoa beans from Åkesson’s Bejofo Estate. Expect bright citrus notes and a refreshing acidity, layered with rich red berry flavours like raspberry, cherry, and blueberry — a hallmark of this renowned single estate.

Two stars: ChocoMe – Choroni, Venezuela, Dark 72%

This 72% dark chocolate bar is characterised by the combination of citrus flavour with the strong acidity of grapefruit, giving rise to a strong flavour reminiscent of passion fruit and lemongrass.

Two stars: Standout – Lachuá, Guatemala 70% Dark

This 70% dark chocolate from Standout is vibrant from the get go. We get the tropical and citrus juiciness and acidity, with the grounding tea leaf astringency and rich cocoa body. This bar also won Gold at the Academy of Chocolate 2022!

Two stars: Standout – Urubamba, Peru 70% Dark

This fruity bar from Swedish maker Standout Chocolate is full of rich floral notes and highs of dark fruits and blueberry.

Two stars: Firetree – Malekula Island, Vanuatu 72% Dark

This dark chocolate is full of warming flavours, think black tea, rich tea biscuits and liquorice root. The finish is quick, but with Firetree’s silky melting texture, the palate desires another taste.

Two stars: Standout – Maya Mountain, Belize, Dark 100%

This intense 100% bar has notes of summer berries, olive oil, almonds and citrus, as well as an indulgent chocolate brownie flavour and and buttery finish.

Two stars: BeanCraft – Sierra Nevada, Colombia, Dark Milk 55%

This award-winning 55% dark milk bar from BeanCraft is smooth and approachable. The chocolate has sweet notes of dates, dried apricot, and some nice honeycomb near the finish.

Two stars: Standout – PISA, Haiti 60% Dark Milk

This 60% dark milk chocolate has a smooth melting texture. It’s fudgy with a toasty and malted flavour. It’s an incredibly interesting milk chocolate bar, with little bitterness and lots of creaminess.

Two stars: Standout – Sambirano Valley, Madagascar 60% Dark Milk

This 60% dark milk chocolate is a Gold Academy of Chocolate award winner, and is thick in texture, with a fruity complex flavour. It’s an incredibly interesting milk chocolate bar, with little bitterness and lots of creaminess. Fredrik has coaxed out the awesome fruity and citrus notes of the Madagascan cacao.

One star: ChocoMe – Choroni, Venezuela, Dark 72% with Candied Iyokan Peel

After a long process, ChocoMe finally found the perfect fruit to pair with the intense citrus flavor notes of Choroni, Venezuela cocoa. Iyokan is a Japanese citrus fruit that combines the flavors of mandarin and orange, resulting in a taste similar to that of a ripe mandarin.

One star: Fjak – Tumaco, Colombia, Dark 70%

This 70% dark chocolate bar from Fjak is rich and astringent. We tasted savoury tasting notes of soy sauce, almonds, and tart green apples.

One star: Fjak – Women’s Lot, Tanzania, Dark 70%

Fjak’s 70% Tanzanian dark bar is smooth and fruity. The chocolate has a great melt and is well rounded, with notes of cherries, coffee and a slightly astringent finish.

One star: Standout – Öko Caribe, Dominican Republic, Getmuse Caramelised Goat Cheese 58%

Getmuse is a traditional Swedish food, made from goat’s milk whey that has been boiled down and caramelised. It’s been made and eaten in Sweden ever since the Vikings. The bar itself is creamy and sweet, with notes of caramel and creamy goat cheese.

One star: ChocoMe – Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania, Dark 70%

This 70% dark chocolate bar from ChocoMe is made using Kokoa Kamili cocoa beans from Tanzania, known for their vibrant and complex flavour profile. Expect deep, roasted cocoa and nutty notes alongside bright hints of tropical fruit, creating a beautifully balanced bar that’s bold, smooth, and layered with character.

One star: Firetree – Sambirano Valley, Madagascar 84% Dark

This high-percentage bar enjoys zesty notes of raspberries and sweet red fruits with a pleasing astringency on the finish.

One star: Standout – Nordic Summer Blossom Dark 66%

The Nordic Summer Blossom 66% is a seasonal dark chocolate bar inspired by the bright, aromatic flavours of a Scandinavian summer. Infused with a delicate blend of Nordic summer blossoms, this bar balances the richness of dark chocolate with gentle floral notes, offering a unique, fragrant, and refreshing tasting experience. This bar won 1 star at the 2025 Great Taste Awards.

One star: Encuentro – Rochers Intense, Peru – 6 Truffles

This box of 6 truffles from Encuentro have a filling of Piedmont hazelnuts, coated in a delicious 70% dark chocolate made with beans sourced from Peru. These rochers are perfect for sharing after a dinner party, or as a gift to a chocolate (and nut) lover.

One star: Firetree – Mindanao Island, Philippines, Dark 73% Thins

Firetree’s Mindanao Island dark chocolate thins come in a box of 25, and are the perfect gift to bring along to a dinner party (or better yet, as a gift to yourself)! They’re gently rich, and have a citrus and caramel flavour profile with pleasing hints of honey and fig.

One star: Firetree – Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Dark 82%

This rich and bold 82% dark bar from Firetree has a smooth melt, with notes of red fruits, citrus, and plums.

One star: Firetree – Makira, Solomon Islands, Dark 75%

This 75% dark bar from Firetree has a deep and complex flavour profile, thanks to the rich volcanic soil on Makira Island where its cocoa beans are grown. We picked up on notes of grapefruit zest, raisin, and caramel.

One star: BeanCraft – Sierra Nevada, Colombia, 100%

BeanCraft’s 100% Sierra Nevada bar is bold and well-rounded. We love the earthiness of this 100% chocolate, which pairs beautifully with the well-balanced notes of dried fruit.

One star: Ocelot – Lemon Olive Oil, White 37%

This smooth 37% white chocolate from Ocelot has been combined with lemon and olive oil to create a sweet, well-balanced bar. The lemon cuts through the sweetness of the chocolate, and the bar is nice and cooling – we think this white chocolate is certainly a crowd pleaser.