Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival
Building the Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival
Motivated by the absence of craft chocolate competitions that offered practical feedback for new makers, Dustin Cornett of Chocolat Café decided to create one. The Craft Chocolat Challenge was launched in 2021 as a free international competition offering a platform for new makers to gather input on their bars and celebrate achievements. Dustin describes it as a "craft chocolate competition created by a chocolate maker designed specifically for chocolate makers." As the competition continues to grow each year, Dustin emphasizes the focus remains on supporting the makers. "It is a challenge against yourself (a chocolate maker) as much as a contest against other chocolate makers. We are not trying to label the "World's Best Chocolate", but rather help you make your best chocolate.”
Entering its fourth year, the Craft Chocolat challenge has been embraced by makers across the globe. Now Dustin is focused on his next project, building the inaugural Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival. His goal is an event designed for chocolate makers, created by chocolate makers, targeting an often-overlooked consumer market, the U.S. Midwest. When Dustin relocated his shop from Kentucky to Rushville, Indiana in January 2024, he found the agricultural community could easily relate to cacao’s connection as an ingredient harvested by farmers. Rushville, “a small town with a big heart”, is active in arts & music festivals, and offered to host the first-ever Midwest fine chocolate makers’ gathering. The two-day event will include opportunities for the chocolate community to connect with industry-only meals and gatherings. On the consumer side, vendors can engage with customers in three sessions on Friday and Saturday. In addition, there will be classes and educational sessions to raise consumer awareness about the cacao journey from farm to bar. Scheduled for Friday and Saturday, November 22-23, Dustin and the town of Rushville are looking forward to welcoming everyone to this two-day celebration of chocolate.