I just read the results of this years competition of the academy ,and when I saw your article, I was pleased that a few people ,realised that this competition is what it is , a platform to congratulate its own members and pat them on their back.many clubs organisations and professions have annual manly internal competitions which have not much significance outside their own circles and therefore not much notice is given to themIn the outside world. This is the same here,as we are chocolatiers we hear from this in this instant and they call themselves grandly"" the academy of chocolate "" we give it more credit than it deserves.

The aoc are a few chocolatiers who are using some of the most expensive couvertures and no doubt some of the better couvertures ,of which of course may be only a few are able exist in London, as they are very expensive to buy by the average consumer. To be able to have a business they are up to all sorts of tricks to promote their businesses. One hears of expressions such as : Award winning,Best in the world,Nationally and Internationally acclaimed!!etc. etc.
The questions are answered immediately , they have bestowed themselves. Their own agents employ food writer, who can put lovely sentences together for the public, but when we read this we know that their knowledge about the subject of chocolaterie is very slim.
Really lets not take too much notice of the situation,its a bit of a farce this bestowing of Goldmedals Silvermedals etc. It is also interesting the way the whole competition is judged ,as results come out weeks after the competition. I personally have judged many competitions, the results come out on the day in general.
I always feel an academy should be more embracing and outward looking and give knowledge to its world ,but I am not sure if this one is only an exclusive club to promote themselves and their suppliers of couvertures.
The other question of course is ,if one uses thee most expensive couverture does that mean you are a good chocolatier, they seem to think so ; but this makes only partly sense and more so if one has limited knowledge in the subject.
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