Castronovo Chocolate
Castronovo Chocolate is a micro-batch chocolate maker whose bars have won multiple awards in worldwide competitions organized in Europe and the United States by the International Chocolate Awards and the Academy of Chocolate. The New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells ranked a Castronovo chocolate bar third in a blind tasting of 14 American bean-to-bar chocolate bars. Zagat lists Castronovo Chocolate as one of the top Bean-to-Bar chocolate makers in the United States. The Slow Food of the Gold and Treasure Coast organization recognized to Castronovo with a 2013 Slow Food award for their commitment to quality. Castronovo Chocolate also won the 2017 Good Food Awards in San Francisco.
Castronovo is located in Stuart, Florida and imports sustainably harvested heirloom cacao beans from Central America and South America for the manufacturing of single-origin chocolate bars. The chocolate maker sells chocolate bars to specialty retail shops internationally.
Recognition
Castronovo Chocolate is honored by the International Chocolate Awards and the Academy of Chocolate, both located in London.International Chocolate Awards
The 2016 World Finals of the International Chocolate Awards awarded 25 medals in the micro-batch production categories. Castronovo won six of the twenty-five, more than any other micro-batch chocolate maker worldwide. The winnings include three gold awards. Two unique awards are the Gold Chocolate Maker and the Gold Directly Traded cacao awards for which there are no additional bronze, silver or gold winners
| Year | Competition | Award | Category | Chocolate Bar |
| 2016 | World Finals | Gold | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Chocolate Maker |
| 2016 | World Finals | Gold | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Directly Traded |
| 2016 | World Finals | Gold | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Sierra Nevada, 63% |
| 2016 | World Finals | Silver | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Dominican Republic, 55% |
| 2016 | World Finals | Silver | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Dark Chocolate Bars | Belize, 72% |
| 2016 | World Finals | Bronze | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Dark Chocolate Bars | Amazonas, 72% |
| 2015 | World Finals | Silver | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Dominican Republic, 55% |
| 2015 | World Finals | Bronze | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Sierra Nevada, 63% |
| 2014 | World Finals | Silver | Bars Milk Plain/Origin | Sierra Nevada, 63% |
| 2016 | Americas & Asia Pacific | Silver | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Dark Chocolate Bars | Belize, 72% |
| 2016 | Americas & Asia Pacific | Silver | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Dominican Republic, 55% |
| 2016 | Americas & Asia Pacific | Bronze | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Dark Chocolate Bars | Amazonas, 72% |
| 2016 | Americas & Asia Pacific | Bronze | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Sierra Nevada, 63% |
| 2015 | Americas Semi-Finals | Gold | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Chocolate Maker |
| 2015 | Americas Semi-Finals | Gold | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Sierra Nevada, 63% |
| 2015 | Americas Semi-Finals | Silver | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Dominican Republic, 55% |
| 2014 | Americas Semi-Finals | Bronze | Bars Milk Plain/Origin | Sierra Nevada, 63% |
Academy of Chocolate
Academy of Chocolate Awards also held in London, recognized Castronovo Chocolate with the following awards. In 2016 Castronovo won six awards including the Gold, Silver and Bronze for Best Dark Chocolate Bean-to-Bar under 80%.
| Year | Award | Category | Chocolate Bar |
| 2016 | Gold | Best Dark Chocolate Bean-to-Bar under 80% | Maya Mountain Villages, Belize, 72% |
| 2016 | Gold | Best Milk Chocolate Bean-to-Bar Over 45% | Rare Cacao Collection - Sierra Nevada Colombia Dark Milk, 63% |
| 2016 | Silver | Best Dark Chocolate Bean-to-Bar under 80% | Rare Cacao Collection - Sierra Nevada Colombia, 72% |
| 2016 | Silver | Best Milk Chocolate Bean-to-Bar Over 45% | Dominican Republic Dark Milk, 55% |
| 2016 | Silver | Best Flavoured White Chocolate Bar | White Chocolate infused with Lemon Oil & Lemon Salt |
| 2016 | Bronze | Micro-batch Plain/Origin Milk Chocolate Bars | Rare Cacao Collection - Amazonas, 72% |
| 2015 | Silver | Best Dark Chocolate Bean-to-Bar under 80% | Chocolate Rare Cacao Collection – Sierra Nevada Colombia, 72% |
| 2015 | Bronze | Best Dark Chocolate Bean-to-Bar under 80% | Rare Cacao Collection – Sierra Nevada Colombia Dark Milk, 63% |
Sustainability and Direct Trade
Castronovo Chocolate sources cacao beans from indigenous people who live off of the rain forest, and thereby provides income for a sustainably harvested product. Castronovo won the 2016 International Chocolate Award gold medal for Direct Trade. The 2017 Good Food award Castronovo won is based on the merits of sustainability and social responsibility as well as quality.Founding member Denise Castronovo has an academic background in Ecosystem Ecology, attending seminars organized by Eugene Odum, the University of Georgia scientist pioneering that field. Castronovo founded Mapping Sustainability, a Geographic Information Systems consulting firm servicing Ecology and Public Health causes. That firm's tree canopy work was recognized by Nobel Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement which focuses on environmental conservation.