Sweet as: breaking news in chocolate

Chocolate is… well, it’s just marvellous, really. It remains one of life’s simplest yet most decadent pleasures, and for most of us, it would be hard to imagine an existence without it.

While the Swiss are the world’s biggest chocolate eaters, gorging on almost 9kg per capita each year, here Down Under we’re not far behind – Australia and New Zealand have an average chocolate consumption of around 5kg per person per year. According to Euromonitor, we have the highest per capita chocolate consumption in the Asia Pacific region, and according to Nielsen, Australia’s demand for chocolate is on the rise – in 2019, the chocolate confectionery market in the country grew well above the global market.

Because Aussies take chocolate so seriously, it’s only fair that we bring you the latest chocolately news updates. You’re very welcome.  

Get your Choc Tops here!

The shutdown of cinemas due to COVID-19 has been tough on movie theatres and their employees, and it’s also been a sad time for film lovers. But one lockdown casualty that you might not have considered is the makers of our beloved Choc Top ice creams.

But now Bulla Dairy Foods, who makes Choc Tops, has been able to reassign some of its factory staff impacted by the shutdown of cinemas after announcing that – for the first time ever – Choc Tops will be available in Coles supermarkets across the country.

Choc Tops will be available to buy for a limited time only. Flavours in each state include Mint, Vanilla, Salted Caramel and Cookies & Cream (Vic, NSW, Tas) and Mint, Vanilla, Choc Fudge and Boysenberry (Qld, WA, SA). Perfect for a movie night at home, yes?

In equally sweet news, for the last eight weeks, Bulla has also been delivering thousands of Choc Tops to health care workers across the country as a small token of appreciation for all their work during the pandemic.

The great debate

Where do you store your chocolate – cupboard or fridge? It’s a controversy that’s right up there with Vegemite-to-butter ratios, and whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza. Now the choc experts have weighed in, with Cadbury sharing its ruling on Twitter. It says that “chocolate should always be stored in a slightly cool, dry, dark place such as a cupboard or pantry at temperatures less than 21°C to ensure the quality isn’t compromised.”

So there you have it. Whether you agree or not is entirely up to you. Here at Eativity, we believe that chocolate belongs in our belly. End of debate.

Big choc buys Aussie choc

The Barry Callebaut Group – one of the world’s largest chocolate manufacturers – has signed an agreement to acquire GKC Foods, an Australian producer which provides chocolate, coatings and fillings to consumer chocolate brands in Australia and New Zealand.

GKC Foods has been manufacturing “Made in Australia” chocolate and confectionery products since the 1980s. Today, the company produces a wide range of products, including organic and vegan chocolate for chocolate shops, gourmet delis, specialty food outlets and key national retailers. The company runs a chocolate factory and warehouse in Melbourne.

Barry Callebaut is already one of the largest chocolate and cocoa manufacturers in the Asia Pacific region. The company operates 10 chocolate and cocoa factories across Asia, and recently announced the ground-breaking of a new chocolate factory in India.

Barry Callebaut’s investment will involve upgrading and expanding GKC’s existing factory infrastructure, installing a new state-of-the-art production line and the deployment of an integrated management system to enhance automated production. The company will also continue to work with local distributors across Australia and New Zealand who have been importing and distributing its products to the country since the 1970s.

Arnott’s launches dessert-inspired biscuits

Arnott’s have paired some of their most popular biscuits with Australia’s favourite desserts, creating a new range that includes a lamington-flavoured Iced VoVo and a mud cake-flavoured Shortbread Cream.

Iced VoVo – Lamington has a biscuit base topped with chocolate fondant and raspberry jam, all sprinkled with coconut.

Shortbread Cream – Mud Cake combines two chocolate-infused shortbread biscuits with a piping of smooth chocolate cream.

The range also includes Scotch Finger – Salted Caramel Tart, which pairs a buttery Scotch Finger with caramel chunks and a salty bite.

These couldn’t come at a better time, as YouGov research reveals that since entering isolation, more than one in three Australians say they’ve been treating themselves more. And 15% of us admit to indulging in dessert every day.

You can find the new range at Coles from June 2, and at independent grocers in late June.