​Hotel Chocolat has scooped the most awards at the prestigious world event—the 2015 Academy of Chocolate Awards—two of them for products made exclusively from Saint Lucian cocoa.

The luxury chocolate brand was awarded the silver in the “Bean to Bar under 80%” category for its Rabot Estate Single Cote, Bord du Lac 70% cocoa; and the bronze in the “Best Flavoured Milk Bar” category for its Saint Lucian 65% Milk Earl Grey.

The brand began making single-origin Saint Lucian chocolate in 2007. Prior to this, all the local cocoa beans that made it to market were lost in mixed bulk sales and anonymous chocolate blends. Saint Lucia’s prized variety of Trinitario cocoa was in danger of disappearing into the history of chocolate.

Properly fermented, dried, roasted and conched, Saint Lucian beans produce chocolate with a dazzling array of tasting notes, ranging from classically rich cocoa to black tea and ripe yellow fruit, grassy olive oil and dry red Burgundy.

“A key part of our plan is to help island growers to keep farming. By buying their harvests at a good price, we allow farmers to reinvest in their farms, and with technical support and access to higher quality cocoa, it’s a win-win for everyone,” Philip Buckley, Country Head in Saint Lucia said.

“Today, more than 166 island grower partners have joined us, and we couldn’t be prouder that working with us, their beans now create some of the officially finest chocolate in the world. These latest awards solidify Saint Lucia’s global reputation as a top quality cocoa producer, and profile the strong food culture of the island.”

The awards, now taking place for the 7th time, are a highly anticipated event in the international chocolate calendar.

This year a record number of entries was received with over 500 products from all over the world. Judging took an extensive five days and the tasting panel included globally recognized chocolate experts, buyers, pastry chefs, food professionals

and food journalists.

Hotel Chocolat stocks its Saint Lucia chocolate in 82 company owned shops across the UK and Scandinavia.