It’s been almost a decade since Tenth Street was “choc-full of sweet-toothed customers” with the Christie Centre’s launch of Mildura Chocolate Company. Mildura Chocolate Company sales and supervisor Emma Horsfall showcased the facility to Caitlyn Morgan and discussed the history of the company and future plans.
THE news that Mildura would have its own chocolate shop was greeted with excitement from children and adults alike.
Tenth Street was closed off between Langtree Avenue and Lime Avenue as a large crowd sampled the chocolate and enjoyed free coffee at the official launch of the Mildura Chocolate Company in December 2009.
While the Mildura Chocolate Company operates as a purveyor of fine chocolate to the people of Mildura and beyond, its main focus is that of work-skills provider for its supported workforce.
Mildura Chocolate Company sales and supervisor Emma Horsfall said since its inception the Mildura Chocolate Company has provided “employment and training opportunities for adults of all abilities.”
“Up until recently we had three supported employees until one gentleman retired,” she says.
“The facility is operated from Monday to Friday by six full time and part time staff and five volunteers.
“We couldn’t do it without our volunteers.”
Over the years the Mildura Chocolate Company has been a stepping stone for many looking to build their skills.
“Currently we have two people on work experience, who are studying Life Skills through the Christie Centre,” Emma says.
“We hope they build a range of skills, including the ability to work independently. Often their daily tasks includes packaging, making the chocolate and rotating stock at the shop.
“Work experience provides a stepping stone for them to integrate into the workforce long term. Working at the Mildura Chocolate Company provides them with a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing they are employed and everyone loves to buy and eat what they have created.”
Emma estimates on average 35kg of chocolate is used each week to create a range of items.
The standard range includes milk, dark and blood orange chocolate bars, chocolate coated almonds, sun muscats, dipped oranges and milk, dark and blood orange tiny hearts, hot chocolate dips, a jumbo speckle and a salted dark chocolate created using Murray River salt.
“One of the biggest changes over the years has been to our range,” Emma says.
“We did have a large range of chocolate that we initially did produce but we have since moved away from that and moved onto producing a smaller range that we can do extremely well.”
While the standard range has been reduced, Emma says custom orders from various local businesses and the public continues to keep them just as busy.
“It has become increasingly popular,” she says. “Often people will order them for special events or as wedding favours, it is an affordable option and they can achieve something quite special.
“We recently had someone create a wedding favour using the mini chocolate hearts along with some Murray River Salt for a wedding in Melbourne, which allowed guests to take home something from Mildura.”
To celebrate 10 years of the Mildura Chocolate Company, each month an old favourite from the original range has returned.
This includes dipped licorice, dipped fruit salad, fruit and nut bar, chili slab, blood orange slab, grape in grape and the special for this month is dipped marshmallows.
“It’s a way to celebrate where we have come from and where we are now,” Emma says.
She admits it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
“After outgrowing the space in Tenth Street, we were offered the amazing opportunity to move out here to the Murray River Salt facility at Bothroyd Court,” Emma says. “We now have an incredible opportunity to expand our facility and with that we hope to reintroduce our dark chocolate sauce.”
Since moving to Bothroyd Court, Mildura Chocolate Company and Murray River Salt have proven they have the winning combination.
The Mildura-based companies won gold at the prestigious Australian Food Awards for their collaborated salted chocolate sauce product in the confectionery category in 2016 and again in 2017 with their Murray River gourmet salted chocolate in the ‘Chocolate Bars and Blocks’ class.
With Easter only a few weeks away, staff and volunteers of the Mildura Chocolate Company have been busy preparing an Easter range, which includes a fruit and nut egg, blood orange and milk chocolate solid eggs, small eggs in a funny mug, small egg in egg cup, assorted animals, milk and blood orange boxes of rabbits and small plain eggs.
Mildura Chocolate Company is available from a range of local stockists including Murray River Salt, 27 Deakin and The Lilly Pilly Shed.
