Christchurch chocolate brand She Universe comes out on top at annual competition.

The New Zealand Vegan Society (NZVS) just wrapped its fifth annual NZ Vegan Chocolate Awards.

Fourteen artisan chocolate makers entered the awards this year, with 50 different chocolates being judged across 10 categories. In addition, one ‘Supreme Winner’ and ‘Honourable Mention’ were chosen for their excellence. 

The five judges were renowned vegan pie maker Jason Hay of Richoux Patisserie; food industry veteran Aaron Pucci; AUT food studies professor Tracy Berno; fourth-generation Samoan cacao farmer, professor, and chocolate maker Floris Niu; and Integrative Health Practitioner Jo Burch. 

The chocolate crew met on 24 April vegetarian restaurant and awards sponsor East, in Auckland CBD. There, they blind taste-tested the entries, basing their decisions on appearance, taste, aroma, and texture.

The biggest accolade went to She Universe, who stepped into the position of Supreme Winner with their Hazel Heaven Baton chocolate bar. Notably, their hazelnuts are sourced from nearby Canterbury hazelnut grower, Hazelz. 

She Universe also melted the judges’ hearts with their Cardamom and Coffee Mylk Chocolate Bar, which awarded them a Notable Mention. 

All Results

Supreme Winner

She Universe: Hazel Heaven Baton

“Decadent crunchy pieces with a luscious hazelnut centre.”

Honourable Mention

She Universe; Cardamom and Coffee Mylk Chocolate Bar

“Exciting, bold chocolate.”

 

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White or Milk* Chocolate Bars

*Dairy-free milk

Gold – Be Happy Chocolate; Vegan M*lk Chocolate with Gooey Caramel
“Silky, dark chocolate with rich caramel balancing bitter and sweet.”

Silver – Be Happy Chocolate; Vegan White Chocolate with Gooey Caramel
“Smooth, sticky caramel with a sweetness explosion.”

Bronze – Be Happy Chocolate; Vegan White Chocolate
“Melt-in-your-mouth creamy with a decadent texture.”

Bark/Brittle

Gold – Wonderland Chocolate Ltd; Peanut Brittle
“Pea-nutty, crunchy heaven – not made for sharing!”

Silver – Swiss Bliss Handcrafted Chocolate; Macadamia Nut and Feijoa Vegan Florentine
“Chewy, blissful combo of feijoa and macadamia.”

Bronze – She Universe; Southerly Snap Mint 55%

“Crispy, minty, long on the palate—perfect after dinner.”

Drinking Chocolate

Gold – She Universe; Alive Drinking Chocolate (Hazelnut, Single Origin Pacific Islands)

“Complex cocoa flavour with an exciting aroma and pleasant, lingering mouthfeel.”

Silver – She Universe; Decadent Single Origin Pacific Island
“Smooth, complex, and true to cocoa essence.”

Bronze – Not awarded

Dipped, Coated & Dragee

Gold – She Universe; Hazel Heaven

“Crunchy with a luscious hazelnut centre. Very decadent.”

Silver – She Universe; Cocomoon Coconut Cardamon Baton

“A subtle cardamom surprise with a refreshing coconut twist.”

Bronze – Not awarded

Bean to Bar – Single Origin

Gold – Foundry Chocolate; Anamalai Estate India 100%
“Well-executed with balanced elements and lingering salty notes.”

Silver – Foundry Chocolate; Korosim Micolots Solomon Islands 70%
“Pleasant and easy to consume.”

Bronze – Valura Chocolate; Madagascar Bejofo Estate

“Good texture, Great snap and good astringency. Smooth finish.”

Bean to Bar – Inclusions/Flavoured

Gold – She Universe; Cardamon and Coffee
“Balanced, classic combination. A conversation starter.”

Silver – Baron Hasselhoff's; Viva Frida Spiced Almond
“Bold, passionate execution with a spicy, salty-smooth finish.”

Bronze – Baron Hasselhoff’s; Grove Thang Yuzu Oil and Macadamia
“Subtle spice with citrus for a bold, surprising combo.”

Bon Bons & Truffles

Gold – Pretty Fancy Chocolate; Cherry Pepper
“Bright cherry and smooth pepper in a crisp dark shell.”

Silver – La Petite Chocolate; Blackcurrant
“Sour berry meets dark chocolate goodness.”

Bronze – Pretty Fancy Chocolate; Dark Roast Coffee
“Rich coffee paired beautifully with roasted hazelnut.”

Dark Chocolate Bars

Gold – Solomons Gold Chocolate; Dark Velvet Noir 90%

“Smooth, rich, smoky, and velvety.”

Silver – Foundry Chocolate; Anamalai Estate India 70%
“Great gloss and snap with balanced acidity.”

Bronze – Island Batch; Dark Chocolate 70%
“A well-rounded dark chocolate.”

Dark Chocolate Bars – Inclusions

Gold – She Universe; Open Me Raspberry 70%
“Consistent flavour with excellent chocolate-raspberry balance.”

Silver – Solomons Gold Chocolate; Velvet Nib 70%
“Rustic flavour with unique texture—distinctly Solomon Islands.”

Bronze – Pretty Fancy Chocolate; Plum and Almond
“Attractive, balanced, and sophisticated.”

Dark Chocolate Bars – Flavoured

Gold – Pretty Fancy Chocolate; Orchard Orange
“Beautifully presented with subtle flavour and aroma.”

Silver – Not awarded

Bronze – Not awarded

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 Awards criteria & disclosures

• The NZ Vegan Chocolate Awards were open to both international and New Zealand companies, so long as the product is commercially available in New Zealand. 

• The Vegan trademark, along with these Awards, accepts chocolate that is processed on a factory line shared with dairy chocolate, in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices. All chocolate entered in our awards is commercially available.