Winning Miss Witt wows the Academy of Chocolate
Lymington based chocolate maker, Miss Witt, has been awarded a silver medal at awards held at the Academy of Chocolate in London.
The judges awarded her a silver for her Prune and Armagnac chocolate in the alcohol category, Miss Witt gained further notoriety by being the only female UK chocolatier to receive this accolade. The other silvers went to the USA, Canada, and UK Hotel Chocolat and Lauden Chocolate. Her chocolate reflected the skill necessary to achieve a medal made evident by the difficult execution of Armagnac infused prunes enrobed with a shell of wild Bolivian 68% dark chocolate.
The wild Bolivian chocolate starred again in Miss Witt’s Mulberry and Lemon Chocolate. 'The Chocolate, with Organic black mulberry extract and lemon, depended largely on the extract that was created from the mulberry mass that remains after distillation for Pothecary Gin. They are passed through a sieve revealing a stunning, reduced silky extract liquid, balanced by just the right amount of tangy lemon. Originally this chocolate emerged out of a collaboration with Pothecary Gin and was created specifically to be enjoyed whilst drinking the gin. Standing on its own, this chocolate walked off with a bronze medal.'
The judges awarded a bronze medal to Miss Witt for her “Coffee Chocolate". Working with a small artisan coffee roaster just around the corner from her Lymington kitchen, Coffee Monger’s Roasting Company, Miss Witt endeavoured to make a finer, smoother version of a well-loved classic. Coffee Monger’s, who travel the world sourcing coffees and roast small batches daily, recommended their Nakuti, a selection of their best arabica East African coffees. The Nakuti, after being carefully blended was lightly roasted to bring out lively apple and grape notes accompanied by a hint of cinnamon spice. Miss Witt, infinitely pleased that the exotic Nakuti held its bright and delicate flavours in her expertly executed ganache, then paired the ganache with a dark Colombian chocolate known for its floral notes.
Miss Witt has been recently described by Keith Hurdman, (Master Chocolatier/Confiseur) as “among the most impressive of the new generation of British Chocolatiers who have come to the fore in recent years. She has an extraordinary range of skills which coupled with her great creativity brings forth some wonderfully eclectic creations. She also has the enviable ability to transmit her ideas to both fellow professionals and enthusiastic amateurs making her an excellent teacher of those who wish to learn more about chocolate”
In keeping with the aims of the Academy, criteria for these awards are that products must contain natural ingredients with no artificial flavourings or colourings and the judges pay particular attention to the appearance, depth of aroma, flavour, length and complexity of the chocolate. This year’s award entries demonstrated the truly international breadth and scope of the Awards. Entries were received from Argentina, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Grenada, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Jakarta, Japan, Mexico, Madagascar, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Peru, Philippines, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Solomon Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, UAE, UK, USA, Uruguay, Vietnam and Venezuela.