Since opening our doors in the heart of Auckland's CBD, we've poured everything into our small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate, and this year's Outstanding Food Producer Awards results are proof that the hard work is paying off.
Across the 2025 and 2026 Awards, Cocoa Wilds has picked up 3 Gold and 7 Silver medals, recognising both our bonbons, candy bar and our now-famous drinking chocolate.
2026: Gold for Our Signature Hot Chocolate
The headline result this year was Gold in the Label & Litho Drink category for our Signature 51% Dark Milk Hot Chocolate Mix. It's incredibly special to have the product that first put us on the map recognised at a national level.
We also picked up six Silver medals in the Bonbons and Other Chocolate Category for:
- Black Forest
- Praline
- Gingerbread
- Hazelnut Caramel Gianduja Candy Bar
- Passionfruit Caramel
- Manuka Honey Ganache
2025: Two Golds Out of the Gate
This wasn't our first rodeo. In the 2025 Awards, we earned Gold medals for our Kōkako Espresso Ganache and Blood Orange & Speculoos Cookie, alongside Silver medals for our Caramelised Milk Chocolate Hazelnuts and Viral Dubai Pistachio Knafeh.
Recognition From a Judging Panel of Experts
The Outstanding Food Producer Awards bring together some of New Zealand's most experienced food judges to taste and assess the very best local food and drink producers each year. Being recognised among Aotearoa's top chocolatiers, many of whom have been perfecting their craft for years longer than we have, is a huge honour for our small team.
Pop into our O'Connell Street boutique to try the award-winning range for yourself or grab a bag of our Gold-medal-winning hot chocolate mix to enjoy at home.
