DORSET’S chocolate masters at Chococo in Swanage, are celebrating after winning a hat trick of accolades at the prestigious, international Academy of Chocolates 2015 Awards.

The artisan chocolatier won gold for its Totally Twisted Nose in the best filled chocolate alcohol category and two bronze awards for its Spirit of Saigon and its Brilliant Black Cow.

Set up by husband and wife team Andy and Claire Burnet, Chococo has been making fine fresh handmade chocolates since 2002.

Claire Burnet, owner and chief chocolate developer, says: “We were thrilled to hear that we had won these awards. We launched our Totally Twisted Nose chocolate last October for Chocolate Week and it has been hugely popular with our customers, so we are delighted to see it so acknowledged in blind tasting by a panel of leading UK and international chocolate experts.

“We are very proud of our chocolatiers, especially Caroline, Sophie and Tanya, who led the creation of these exciting flavours, now acknowledged as being amongst the best in the world!”

Chococo makes all its fresh handmade chocolates from fine origin cocoa from the Caribbean, Venezuela, Madagascar and Vietnam.

It also uses local produce, including fresh Dorset cream, to make its mouth-watering creations. Since starting the business these wins now mean that they have won 48 fine food awards for their fine chocolates.

The Totally Twisted Nose chocolate was launched in October 2014 after a customer competition run in their new Winchester shop to create a chocolate incorporating local Hampshire flavours.

The chocolate blends Twisted Nose watercress-infused gin from the Winchester Distillery, and fresh locally grown watercress from The Watercress Company.

Spirit of Saigon is a non-dairy lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf coconut milk infusion blended with 65% Marou chocolate from Vietnam. This chocolate also won a Two Star Gold Award at the Great Taste Awards 2014.

Brilliant Black Cow uses Dorset's unique Black Cow vodka in a fresh milk chocolate ganache infused with a hint of fresh lime zest and black pepper. It won a Bronze Medal in the European Semis and was a world finalist in the International Chocolate Awards 2014.

The international Academy of Chocolates 2015 Awards received more than 500 entries from artisan chocolate companies around the world.