The winners of the Chocolate Awards are announced today during Chocolate Week with the best chocolate in the World once again being awarded to Italian chocolate house in Tuscany, Amedei for its single estate Chuao bar. Amedei won a total of three golds, with wins also for Valrhona, Michel Cluizel and Malagasy.

The Academy of Chocolate Awards receives entries from across the globe, as far afield as America and from countries renowned for their world class chocolates such as France and Italy. However, the �Best Filled Chocolate� goes to British chocolatier William Curley for his Chuao chocolate. The London chocolate shops picked up many of the Gold and Silver awards including Rococo, MELT, L�Artisan du Chocolat, La Maison du Chocolat and Paul A Young, reflecting the burgeoning British chocolate scene and the superb quality of chocolate now created here.

William Curley has also been awarded the Best British Chocolatier accolade for the outstanding quality of his chocolates. William, based in Richmond, received a phenomenal, 3 Golds and 4 Silvers in this year�s awards for his filled chocolates, truffles and his house blend of hot chocolate.

Paul A Young Fine Chocolate has been awarded Best New Chocolate Shop. Paul opened his glamorous chocolaterie in Camden Passage, Islington earlier this year, where Paul has already won many admiring fans.

The award winners will be showcased and available to taste at The Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia, London from 1st � 5th November. FULL LIST OF WINNERS OF THE 2006 ACADEMY OF CHOCOLATE AWARDS:

1. Best �chocolatier� dark bar (from existing liquor or couverture):

Silver � Rococo & Grenada Hurricane Emily (made from the Grenada Chocolate Company�s liquor and blended with couverture) Silver � L�Artisan du Chocolat, Madagascar (from liquor)

2. Best bean to bar: Gold � Amedei Chuao (top marks) (www.amedei.com) Gold � Amedei Porcelana Gold � Amedei Toscano Black 70% Gold � Michel Cluizel, Maralumi (www.michelcluizel.com) Gold � Valrhona Araguani (www.valrhona.fr)

Silver � Malagasy Mora Mora (www.malagasy.co.uk) Silver � Amedei �9� Silver � Michel Cluizel Mangaro Silver � Domori Puertomar (www.domori.com)

Bronze � Michel Cluizel Tamarina Bronze � Hotel Chocolat Rabot Estate 72% (www.hotelchocolat.co.uk)

3. Best flavoured dark bar: None

4. Best milk chocolate bar: Bronze � Amedei, Milk Bronze � Green and Black�s Milk (www.greenandblacks.co.uk)

5. Best flavoured milk chocolate bar: Bronze � L�Artisan du Chocolat Tonka bean bar (www.artisanduchocolat.com)

6. Best filled chocolate: Gold � William Curley Chuao (top marks) (www.williamcurley.com) Gold � William Curley Szechuan Pepper Gold � La Maison du Chocolat Salvador (www.maisonduchocolat.com) Gold � Melt Passion and mango fruit cube (www.meltchocolates.com) Gold � Melt Raspberry Chuao Gold � Paul Wayne Gregory Passion fruit bonbon (www.paulwaynegregory.co.uk) Silver � William Curley Fresh mint Silver � William Curley Sea salted caramel Silver � Theo Fig & fennel (www.theochocolate.com) Silver � Melt Sea salted caramel Silver � Demarquette Rivesaltes & raisins (www.demarquette.com) Silver � Demarquette House ganache Silver � Paul A Young Sea salted caramel (www.payoung.net) Silver � Paul Wayne Gregory Space dust bonbon

Bronze � Melt Caf� Manjari square Bronze � Demarquette Arabian Coffee Bronze � Demarquette Blanc Manger Des Antilles 7. Best plain dark truffle Gold � Paul A Young Gold � William Curley

Silver � Rococo (www.rococochocolates.com)

8. Best flavoured dark truffle Silver � Theo Burnt sugar

Bronze � Theo Mint Bronze � L�Artisan du Chocolat Honey

9. Best plain milk truffle

Silver � L�Artisan du Chocolat Silver � William Curley

10. Best flavoured milk truffle Gold � L�artisan du Chocolat, cinnamon

11. Best dark organic chocolate bar Silver � Valrhona Cao Grande

12. Best flavoured dark organic bar Gold � SHS - Caramelised Hazelnuts Silver � Rococo, Basil and lime

13. Best milk organic chocolate bar Bronze � Valrhona Cao Grande Noir Bronze � Rococo house

14. Best flavoured milk organic chocolate bar Silver � Rococo Sea salt

15. Best drinking chocolate Gold � Rococo organic (www.rococochocolates.com) Silver � Rococo Spiced organic Silver � William Curley Bronze � Grenada Chocolate Company �Smilo� (www.rococochocolates.com)

Judges included Damian Allsop, Chantal Coady, Martin Christy, Chloe Doutre-Roussel, Sarah Jane Evans MW, Fiona Gately, Bill McCarrick, Marie Pierre Moine, Sara Jayne Stanes, plus a team of journalists and chocolate professionals to support us. The judging process took place over 2� days and it was an extremely tough job amidst a wealth of chocolate products that represented talent, skills, enthusiasm and serious quality chocolate.

Sara Jayne Stanes chairman of the Academy of Chocolate says of the Awards �This is our second year and the number of entries confirms the confidence that the chocolate industry has in the credibility and significance of our Awards. The outstanding quality of the winners gives us great confidence for the future. It is so rewarding to see a growing number of highly creative and perceptive chocolate makers stretching the boundaries of talent and taste and, at the same time, paying significant attention to the highest quality, character and provenance of the chocolate � in harmony with the Academy�s ethos to �look beyond the label�.

We hope that these annual Awards will begin to help consumers, retailers and restaurateurs to make enlightened choices about the chocolate they buy. However, we did feel that there is plenty of work to done on the milk chocolate categories. In 2007 we look forward to seeing some of those again who were not successful this year as well as many new entries�.

ENDS - The Academy of Chocolate was set up in June 2005 to encourage consumers to differentiate between real chocolate and confectionary. It also aims to improve the standard and knowledge of chocolate in the UK whilst also encouraging the transparent sourcing of cocoa beans from the plantations. For more information visit www.academyofchocolate.org.uk - Chocolate Week is a week long indulgent celebration of fine chocolate involving the UK�s best chocolatiers and chocolate shops. See www.chocolate-week.co.uk for details of all the events and participants.

Note: The Academy�s first awards were held in 2005 and the results can be found on the website.

Media Contact:

Sara Jayne Stanes sarajaynestanes@academyofculinaryarts.org.uk 07889 874808 0208 673 6300