Culinary Guidelines

We are currently seeking chef participants for the 2023 Big Island Chocolate Festival. Entry into the Chocolate Festival and competition is FREE for culinary participants. Participants are asked to provide 500 sweet and/or savory “tastes” of their chocolate creation.

We will be holding the Festival INSIDE and OUTSIDE the ballroom. Please let us know if you have a preference for space inside or out on your registration form.  Requested station placement is by a first-come, first-served basis—sign up today! 

Competition Categories Judged by Celebrity Chefs:

Plated dessert     Savory

BonBon                Bean to Bar

Fermented cacao (Best Hawaiian chocolate)

In addition for 2023, the public will vote for two People’s Choice Awards: Best Savory and Best Sweet, so participants are encouraged to bring both savory and sweet entries and sign up to be judged in more than just one category.

We also have a THEME this year and there will be an award for BEST DECORATED BOOTH.  

The tenth Big Island Chocolate Festival will be April 29, 2023 - and theme is Indulge Your Senses with Chocolate.

Culinary Participant Food Permit needed by all 2023 participants

Important! We appreciate your support for the Big Island Chocolate Festival as a chef/chocolatier participant. The Hawaii Health Department requires that each participant fill out a Temporary Food Permit which includes a booth layout form showing the hand washing area and how the food service will appear. **covid requirements will be updated soon.

For questions or immediate attention please contact Farsheed Bonakdar at (808) 324-6100 or (808) 937-4736.

You will need to submit: The Culinary Participant Form (Submit Online Below), the Health Dept form which includes the Booth Layout form.

Please bring a hand-washing unit, all food serving utensils, napkins, lights, extension cords, etc., necessary to set up your booth and serve your offering.  If you are entering the competition, you will need four plated entries for the judges.

Due to being a 501c3, the $25 participation fee is waived.  Please print out the Food Permit , complete it and fax them back to 808-324-6200 by April 8, 2023. The earlier you submit the better for us to do advance marketing for you and the Festival. Thank you for taking time to do this so our event runs smoothly and legally.

Culinary Participant Form for information about chef registration for 2023. (Download PDF)