SPAGnVOLA Wins Award for Their Premium Nigerian Chocolate Bar

WASHINGTON - April 27, 2015 - PRLog -- The premium chocolatier SPAGnVOLA based in Washington, DC is pleased to announce on Thursday April 23 2015, they won the Silver Award from the Academy of Chocolate in London, United Kingdom on three of their chocolate bars. One of the awards was for their own single-estate chocolate bars from the Dominican Republic.  Most notably, one of the Chocolate Silver Awards was granted to the SPAGnVOLA chocolate bar from the Oda Cacao Estate in Ondo State, Nigeria.

Earlier this year, SPAGnVOLA submitted their Nigerian chocolate bar to the Academy of Chocolate judges in hopes of being considered. The 7th Annual Academy of Chocolate Awards were hosted by Nigel Barden at the Fortnum & Mason Department Store on Thursday April 23 2015, where SPAGnVOLA won three Silver Awards, including one for their premium chocolate bar from Nigeria. The highly anticipated event had a record number of entries with over 500 products. Judging took place over the span of five days and the panel of judges was comprised of chocolate experts, pastry chefs, food professionals, and food journalists.

West Africa produces approximately 75% of cocoa beans within the world, however, they are not regarded as “premium” quality beans. In 2014, SPAGnVOLA embarked on a partnership with the Ondo State government in Nigeria to work with a private cocoa bean farm called “Oda Cocoa Estate.” Against many odds, the partnership proved to be very successful. SPAGnVOLA worked on quality assurance at the farm and helped perfect both the harvest and postharvest processing which includes their CiBEXO methodology to ensure optimum quality beans. The Oda Cocoa Estate beans were then shipped to the SPAGnVOLA factory, where they were handcrafted into the first premium chocolate bar from Nigeria.

“We are very proud to have won the Silver Award on our innovative premium Nigerian chocolate bar.” said Eric Reid of SPAGnVOLA. “This was only the beginning of our partnership with the Oda Cocoa Estate and we look forward to the next phase. We want to elevate our relationship with Ondo State and help the farmers improve the quality of their beans so they can grow the best cocoa in the world!”

Find out more information about SPAGnVOLA Chocolatier and their partnership with the Oda Cocoa Estate in Nigeria by visiting their website directly at www.spagnvola.com.

About SPAGnVOLA:

Since 2009 SPAGnVOLA has made an unprecedented name for themselves within the chocolate industry. Using the finest cacao beans harvested from their private 400 acre farm in Dominican Republic and most recently, Nigeria, the company handcrafts exquisite premium chocolate. SPAGnVOLA cultivates and processes their cacao beans in a traditional way to ensure each hand-picked pod is ripened, fermented, dried, and graded perfectly. Upon arrival to the factory, each cacao bean is roasted, winnowed, and refined into premium chocolate. From there it is made into premium chocolate bars, bonbons, and truffles. SPAGnVOLA is engaged in a number of international projects with other cocoa-producing countries.