Media Release: T&T Cocoa in the Best 50 of the World for 2021

Trinidad and Tobago Cocoa ranked in the Top 50 Best of the World once again!

July 22, 2021:- Three (3) of the five (5) samples submitted from Trinidad and Tobago’s National Cocoa Awards to the global Cocoa of Excellence Programme 2021, to compete for International Cocoa Awards, have been selected among the best 50 bean samples with exceptional flavour, from amongst 235 global samples, after the first round of judging. These three samples will now vie for International Cocoa Awards at the Salon du Chocolat, Paris, France later in October of this year.

The world-ranked Trinidad and Tobago samples originated from Ms. Annette Mills of Charamal Estate, Aripo; Mr. Winthrop Harewood of Roods and Perches Estate, Tableland; and the Farmers of the Four Roads Tamana Cluster, Tamana, who submitted a composite sample.  The members of this group are Mr. Albert Maloney, Mr. Calvin David, Ms. Helen Monsegue, Mr. Lyncoln Salandy, as well as Mr. Martin and Jacqueline Matthew who processed the group’s bean sample. This latter couple won an International Cocoa Award in 2019.

These 3 samples were among the top 5 local winners of the 2021 National Cocoa Awards (NCA). The Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (CDCTTL) chairs the National Organising Committee for the NCA, also comprising the Cocoa Research Section of the Ministry of Agriculture Land and Fisheries, the Cocoa Research Centre of the University of the West Indies, and ExporTT. The NCA is geared toward celebrating outstanding cocoa quality and the diverse flavours of our namesake Trinitario cocoa variety.

At the next stage of international judging the 50 global bean samples will be processed into chocolate for the flavor sensory evaluation by the Cocoa of Excellence Technical Committee, and a broader panel of professionals during the month of September.  Thereafter, 15-20 of the 50 finalists will be winners of International Cocoa Awards (ICA).

We eagerly await the announcement of the final results of the ICA Awards. Trinidad and Tobago is the current record holder for winning International Cocoa Awards. Since the inception of the Cocoa of Excellence Programme in 2009, Trinidad and Tobago has won an outstanding 8 International Cocoa Awards. We hope to continue this winning streak in 2021.

The CDCTTL will continue to promote and develop the expertise of local producers to inter-National award-winning levels, in fulfilment of its mandate as the driver and catalyst of local cocoa sector.

Download 2021 CoEx Top 50 Announcement – Media Release