A Day of Chocolate
Friday, November 13, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (GMT)
Sorby Room, Wager Building, Whiteknights Campus, University of Reading, UK
Free and open to the public

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Join us at the University of Reading for a full day on cocoa and chocolate, bringing together leading academic, Indigenous, and professional perspectives. The program opens with presentations on the latest cocoa and chocolate research from Reading, Cambridge, and Oxford. In the afternoon, there will be a panel on sustainability, a chance to meet specialty chocolate makers and taste their work, and a closing panel on the state of specialty chocolate today.

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ICCR is proud to support this event alongside the British Academy and partners, and to moderate the closing panel.

Program

10:00–13:00 | Presentations: The latest in cocoa and chocolate research at Reading, Cambridge, and Oxford. Moderated by Estelle Praet (British Museum)

14:00–15:00 | Panel discussion: Sustainability in cocoa and chocolate. Moderated by Katie Sampeck (Archaeology, University of Reading)

15:00–16:00 | Meet the makers: Chocolate tasting

16:00–17:00 | Panel discussion: Specialty chocolate today. Moderated by José López Ganem (Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research)

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More information
For questions about the event, please contact Dr. Katie Sampeck at k.e.sampeck (at) reading (dot) ac (dot) uk and José López Ganem at jose (at) chocolateinstitute (dot) org.