By Laura Rancie.
Happy to spend an entire week in our Editorial theme, Chocolate - here is a whirlwind trip of Australia’s best chocolateries, state by state.
Happy to spend an entire week in our Editorial theme, Chocolate - here is a whirlwind trip of Australia’s best chocolateries, state by state.
BRISBANE:
Once pitched to Oprah, Dello Mano is known for probably the best brownies in Australia. Husband and wife duo set out to recreate the distinct Italian approach to food that they found on a slow food movement trip around Italy. The name Dello Mano, Italian for 'of the hand,' is homage to the philosophy that underpins Italian cuisine, which emphasises high-quality ingredients and painstaking technique, all selected and made by hand.
Their intensely chocolatey, unctuously rich brownies, made with real Belgian chocolate and farm-fresh eggs, ended up sparking something of a movement in Australia – the best part is they ship Australia-wide.
CANBERRA:
Jasper and Myrtle source and roast beans to perfection, blended with exquisite flavours to create delicious and distinctive bars, lovingly handmade in Canberra. Like fine wine, each batch is different, matching the best natural ingredients with the most suitable beans to produce truly unique chocolate with no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives. Ingredients are ethically sourced ensuring sustainability and traceability.
SYDNEY:
Chocolate in all its varieties is A-OK by us! Nothing will have you appreciating the sweet stuff more than Lode’s chocolate and hazelnut croissant, or its very unique and flaky Lode pain au chocolat. Its new approach to layering butter and dough is exemplary and well worth the experience.
VICTORIA:
What started as a one-man operation in 2006 with Frenchman Thibault, is now a very well-received and much-loved premium chocolate product, available at more than 100 stockists across Australia and a brick-and-mortar café in Brunswick. Its bean-to-bar range is extensive with beans from all over the world, roasted and conched perfectly to showcase optimal tasting notes.
It’s the special occasions that Koko Black celebrates extremely well and Christmas is one of its best, transforming stores spread across Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney into magical wonderlands. We absolutely love the chocolate advents for the whole family (including a kid's calendar and a couple's calendar).
TASSIE:
Located in Tasmania's Northwest is a chocolate lovers' heaven - handmade chocolate truffles, chocolate oranges, fudge and pralines, using fresh Tasmanian cream and butter, single-origin chocolate, fruit, nuts and liqueurs. The Anvers Chocolate Factory is a real chocolate taste sensation and is located in the property known as Wyndarra Lodge, a stylish house (c.1931) set in 2.5 hectares of mature tree gardens.
PERTH:
This is a boutique, small-batch chocolaterie with all hands on deck for a total of eight hands (four people). It takes two full days to individually prepare each hand-crafted chocolate, in small batches to ensure consistent quality of product. The ethically sourced chocolates are made from the finest covertures and then blended with local, seasonal and often organic produce. Most of the chocolates are gluten-free with plenty of dairy-free and vegan products also available.
ADELAIDE:
Making fine chocolate since 1915, Haigh's sources the very best ingredients with premium cocoa beans and uses artisan skills combined with specialised chocolate-making techniques to create award-winning chocolates. A family business passed down from founder Alfred to son Claude in 1933 to son John in 1946; the full family history woven into Haigh’s chocolaterie is fascinating and can be found here, with beautiful original sepia photographs from their archives.
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