Friday, 12 March, 2010  Advertised in TNT Travellers' Magazine - Spring & Summer Editions
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Chocolate Shop Directory(Current as at February 2010) For the chocoholics among us the following is a country wide Chocolate Shop Directory with a bit of chocolate information on the side. It's a work in progress and will be added to as we read about and discover more chocolate shops on our travels. We're chocolate novices and we haven't visited all of the retail stores mentioned so the directory is intended as a guide for those interested in making chocolate stops and deciding for themselves how good the products are. If you would like to contribute to the guide with comments or recommendations, that would be (as some Kiwis say), sweet as - contact us here. (Special thanks to all of the contributors on the Trade Me Travel forum). North Island Kerikeri Makana Confections, 504 Kerikeri Road (see South Island section for the Blenheim branch) www.makana.co.nz Watch chocolates being made, select from sugar free suggestions, naturally nutty options, fruit favourites and more. Purchase in store or online. We've visited Makana and as soon as we walked in the door the attentive staff were offering us sweet samples. Open daily 9am - 5.30pm. Mangawhai Bennetts of Mangawhai, 52 Moir Street www.bennetsofmangawhai.com Bennetts of Mangawhai is well worth a visit, the complex is built in a European style and it is much more than a delightful chocolaterie. There is also a French style fruit and vegetable store, cafe and gelateria. Open 7 days. Warkworth Chocolate Brown, 6 Mill Lane www.chocolatebrown.co.nz Chocolate Brown has relocated to Warkworth from Queenstown. You can shop online, visit their chocolaterie and cafe in Warkworth or buy their products from the many stockists listed on their website. Their CB Love range is available all year round - choose from flower heart boxes, boxes of caramels or the dark and white butterflies. Matakana deVine Chocolat, Shop 18/2 Matakana Valley Road, Matakana (12km from Warkworth) www.devinechocolat.co.nz deVine Chocolat is open 7 days and sells a range of handmade chocolates from around New Zealand. Specific chocolates and packaging can be sourced on request.
Auckland La Maison du Chocolat, 15-19 Sunnyhaven Avenue, Beach Haven Village www.houseofchocolate.co.nz A specialty at La Maison du Chocolat is the NZ fruit sensations range - freeze dried fruit dipped in dark or white chocolate. They supply a range of NZ retailers and also sell to the public from their factory shop. Open week days from 9am - 5pm and Saturday by appointment. Chocolate Heaven, 7 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna http://chocolateheaven.co.nz You can hire a chocolate fountain from Chocolate Heaven and they are the sole New Zealand distributor for French chocolatier Michel Cluizel's chocolate products. Open 7 days: Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri 9:30am - 5:30pm; Thurs 9:30am - 6:00pm and Sat, Sun 10:00am - 4:30pm. Candyman - Sweet Indulgence, 428 Mt Eden Road, Mt Eden There are lolly jars galore at Candyman as well as Topiary Trees of handmade truffles ($146) and the more affordable large strawberry chocolate fish for $1.80. They stock Simply Delicious chocolate products, fudge, giant lollipops, candy floss and more to tempt those with a sweet tooth. If you're looking for a party pinata they have them in store. Open 7 days, weekends 10am - 5pm. Chocolate Boutique & Dessert Cafe, 323 Parnell Road, Parnell
Napier The Silky Oak Chocolate Company, 1131 Links Road www.silkyoakchocs.co.nz They've got chocolate covered at Silky Oak - watch the chocolate making process at the onsite factory shop, have a cup of hot chocolate in the cafe and learn about chocolate through the ages at the chocolate museum. There is also a range of chocolate tours - see the tours section on the website. Open 7 days, Mon - Thurs 9am - 5pm; Sat & Sun 10am - 4pm. Palmerston North Alexandre Patisserie & Chocolaterie, 9 Coleman Mall As well as chocolates you will also find traditional French fare like almond croissants, baguettes and tarte paysane (farmers tart). Munchkins/De Fresno, 59 Broadway Avenue www.defresno.co.nz Fudge is a speciality at Munchkins and comes in flavours like passionfruit and Baileys. It sounds like a great shop to buy a sweet gift for someone special as they have gift boxes full of handmade chocolates and fudge, gift baskets and bouquets of flowers.
Greytown Schoc Chocolates, 177 Main Street www.schoc.co.nz We liked the chocolate bowls filled with goodies at Schoc; Martinborough wine fans will enjoy the truffles that are flavoured with wine from local vineyards. If you are a Schoc-oholic there are a list of stockists on their website and you can also do a Schoc Treatment Tour (reservations required). Open Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm & weekends 10.30am - 5pm. Kapiti Coast Nyco Chocolates, corner State Highway 1 & Raumati Road Nyco conduct tours by appointment (minimum 5) and you can buy sweet treats from the factory shop. Nyco specialises in producing private label chocolates and will create personalised messages in large or small quantities. Another company that will assist with corporate and promotional chocolates is Helen's Handmade, based in Canterbury. Wellington Butlers Chocolate Cafe, 103 Willis Street & Westfield Queensgate, Lower Hutt www.butlerschocolates.com Butlers offer a sweet deal - cups of coffee, hot chocolate, Irish tea or iced beverages are served with a complimentary chocolate on the side. Also on the menu is fudge, toffee, chocolate truffles flavoured with Irish cream and sweet treats from the cabinet. Butlers Willis Street Chocolate Cafe is open from 7am. Ciocco Chocolaterie & Espresso Bar, 11 Tory Street Ciocco sell the Schoc range of chocolates from their chocolate counter and brew up coffee in the espresso bar. Cuisine, ground floor Harbour City Shopping Centre, 179 Lambton Quay www.kirkcaldies.co.nz There is a variety of New Zealand made and imported chocolates at Cuisine, you can design your own gift box selection from the loose chocolates in the cabinets or buy boxed selections. de Spa Chocolatier, Old Bank Arcade, corner Lambton Quay & Customhouse Quay www.despa.co.nz de Spa is a small shop tucked away in the Old Bank Arcade, it is a retail store for the de Spa range that are produced at the de Spa factory in Christchurch.
South Island Makana Confections, corner Rapaura & O'Dwyers Road (also see North Island section for the Kerikeri branch)
Christchurch Chocolateria at Aji, 129 Manchester Street www.aji.co.nz This small store is around the corner from SOL Square and is choc full of treats. They stock Schoc chocolate, turkish delight and tins of chocolate flavoured black tea and more. Open week days 11am - 5pm and Saturday 11am - 3pm. deSpa Factory & Showroom, 1013 Ferry Road, Ferrymead www.despa.co.nz deSpa make more than 70 varieties of hand made Belgian chocolates and offer dairy and sugar free options. deSpa chocolates are sold at a variety of retail stores around New Zealand - visit the website for details. At deSpa Factory & Showroom in Ferrymead visitors can watch chocolatiers at work, and factory tours are also available. She Chocolat, 79 Main Road, Governors Bay www.shechocolat.com Order a "Decadent Moment" or a "Chocolate Lovers Platter" and enjoy the expansive view from the restaurant balcony. Book in for a "Chocolate Indulgence Day" and if you want to continue your chocolate journey enrol at the Chocolate School. Visit the website to find out where you can buy She Chocolat around the country and to read about She's Fijian Outreach Program. Open 7 days, 10am - 5pm, also visit the website for She Chocolat market stall locations. Xocolatl, 203 Fendalton Road, Fendalton www.xocolatl.co.nz At Xocolatl you can sit down and enjoy a hot chocolate and try some unique chocolate flavours like balsamic vinegar, and passionfruit pavlova. Chocolate making courses are available - call in to the store and pick up a flyer or visit the website for details.
Ashburton BullRush Chocolates, 54 Cross Street, Allenton www.bullrushchocolate.co.nz BullRush make chocolate with personality - the Kiwi Choc Box contains a jandal shaped chocolate flavoured with chilli, lemon and lime. The Gift Box contains a bitter dark chocolate massaged with raspberry and slapped over with wasabi. Sounds like chocolate well worth sampling. BullRush is opening on 22 February 2010. Dunedin Guilty By Confection, 44-46 Stuart Street www.guiltybyconfection.co.nz Located opposite the Court House in Dunedin, this store is appropriatey named. The website is choc full of pictures, they sell their own secret recipe fudge and Pleasure Packs like "Sentenced to Chocolate". Invercargill The Seriously Good Chocolate Company, 147 Spey Street www.seriouslygoodchocolate.com Purchase iconic Southland themed chocolates, try the Speight's beer truffles or relax with a seriously good coffee or seriously good hot chocolate in the cafe. Seriously Good Chocolates can be found at many New Zealand retail stores as well as in Rarotonga and London, visit the website for locations. Chocolate making / team building classes are available for corporate and conference groups. Queenstown & Arrowtown Patagonia Chocolates, 50 Beach Street, Queenstown (Open 10am - 10pm) Patagonia Chocolates, 40 Buckingham Street, Arrowtown (Open 9am - 6pm) www.patagoniachocolates.co.nz Select from dark, white and milk chocolate treats. There are some unusual combinations like roasted sesame seeds blended with dark chocolate, and lime truffles - chocolate ganash infused with lime and covered in dark Belgian chocolate.
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