(BIVN) – The winners have been announced in the 11th Big Island Chocolate Festival held at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.

From a Big Island Chocolate Festival news release:

With a glitzy “Mystical Chocolate Masquerade” theme, fun and food sprawled both inside and out of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa Saturday for the 11th Big Island Chocolate Festival (BICF). The three-day festival included a guided farm tour, agriculture seminars, culinary demos, competitions and the festive gala.

Creations by chefs, chocolatiers and culinary students were critiqued on taste, texture, appearance and creativity by a team of celebrity judges during two days of competitions.

Earning Best Savory was Chefs Pauline Lam and Randy Ishizu of Mauna Lani-Auberge Resorts Collection and Chef Daniel Sampson took Best Plated Dessert of the Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i. Patrick Merritt of Cacao Farmers of Hawai‘i won Best Bean to Bar.

Earning Best Bean to Bar was Patrick Merritt of East Hawai’i and Cacao Farmers of Hawai‘i. (courtesy BICF)

Those who dazzled the crowd with their creations earned the People’s Choice Awards: Best Sweet went to Chef Alyssa Tokumura of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and Lam and Ishizu took Best Savory. Voted with Best Decorated Booth was the Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i.

For Friday’s college culinary competition, students from University of Hawai‘i community college campuses participate in the annual Student Plated Dessert Competiton. “The competition is student-led and participants receive standarized assessment for their plated desserts,” details Chef Jacquelyn Naeole, competition chair. “Conceptualizing and executing plated desserts for the competition cultivates students’ leadership capabilities by empowering them to take ownership of their creations, make decisions under pressure, collaborate effectively with teammates and communicate their vision to others. This hands-on experience challenges them to lead their team towards a common goal, fostering valuable skills in organization, delegation and problem-solving.”

Teams from three schools travelling from Oʻahu and Maui had their chocolate creations evaluated by professional chefs, which Naeole says provides “invaluable feedback.” Earning first place was Kawenahuluikeaolimaikalahiki Mau and Tricha Arquero of University of Hawai‘i-Maui College while Mariah Theresa Concepcion and Angeline Stone of Kapiolani College earned second. Malorie Murakami and Jennifer Giubardo of UH-Maui College took third.

Chefs judging the various competitions hailed from throughout the state and Mainland: Stéphane Tréand, MOF Patissier Chocolatier of Francium Chocolate; Vitaly Paley, culinary ambassador of Blue Ocean Mariculture; Frederic Hoffman, executive chef of Hilton Waikoloa Village; Tiffany Naughton, pastry chef of Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui; Steven Arakaki of Desserts Hawai‘i; Kalani Garcia, executive pastry chef at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai; Helen Hong, executive pastry chef at Kona Village Resort; Yoshikazu Kizu, executive chef at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka‘anapali; Terry Ann Manegdeg pastry chef of Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort; and Ippy Aiona of Ippy’s Hawaiian BBQ.

The real winners of the annual festival are the 2024 beneficiaries: Hawai‘i Institute of Pacific Agriculture, Kona Dance & Performing Arts and Hawai‘i Keiki Museum.

Visit bigislandchocolatefestival.com for updates on next year’s event.

The mission and goal of the Kona Cacao Association is to promote the cacao industry on the Big Island of Hawaii by presenting BICF as an educational and outreach opportunity for local cacao farmers, the hospitality industry and cacao enthusiasts. Mahalo to 2024 Big Island Chocolate Festival sponsors: Hawai‘i Tourism Authority through the Community Enrichment Program, Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, Valrhona, Guittard Chocolate Company, Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory, Taste of Aloha, Cocoa Outlet, Yay! Candy, Christie Mitsumura-Mason-McDuffie Mortgage Corporation, PCB Création, USA, Waialua Chocolate & Coffee, Suisan, Patricio’s Mexican Taqueria, KGH Catering, Primavera Farms, Kuleana Rum Works, Ola Brew, and Kona Brewery Co.