West Australia’s Best Chocolatiers
Our beloved state is full of artisan makers of every variety, so it’s no wonder we’re home to a bevy of talented chocolatiers. Whether you’re treating yourself or someone special, these choccies are next level.
Bahen & Co.
Margaret River’s Bahen + Co sets the benchmark for ultra-cool choccies. Originally winemakers, the team uses traditional processes to make stone-ground chocolate from bean to bar. A refined approach to flavours puts cacao at the forefront, with single origin bars and flavours that let the cacao shine – think orange and hazelnut, or chilli and sea salt. With such a focus on beans, its no surprise they foster fair, long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with farmers, so you can enjoy your chocolate guilt-free.
Cheeky Cacao
Speaking of guilt-free treats, the Cheeky Project are all about wholesome, real foods. Naturally free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar, its a great option for those that are trying to make healthy swaps while still indulging. Flavours run the gamut from crowd pleasers like ferrerocky road and coconut rough, to more left field choices like sweet fennel infusion or lime and sea salt.
Cailo Chocolate
Hand-crafted at home – Cailo Chocolate embodies the small-batch, commitment to quality that sets their chocolate apart from the rest. Cailo creates chocolate from bean to bar, using beans sourced from long-standing, fair relationships with farms in Panama and the Solomon Islands – many of whom are also family operations. Make sure to check out Cailo’s Australian Natives range, which include ingredients like lemon myrtle, mountain pepper and ooray. Hooray to that!
Nakamura Chocolate
Nakamura Chocolates are something truly worthy of a celebration. These exquisitely crafted gems are hand made by chocolatier Yuki Nakamura, using techniques that celebrate Japanese, French and Australian flavours and craftsmanship. Presented beautifully in a box stamped with Nakamura’s family crest, each culture’s influence and ingredients are on show: lemon myrtle and eucalyptus, quandong and blood peach, yuzu and thyme, and white sesame, to name just a few.
Sue Lewis
Sue Lewis has been going from strength to strength. After training under renowned chocolatier Paul A. Young in London, the chef-turned-chocolatier relocated to Subiaco – to a store that was later named one of the eight best in the world. Now located in the State Buildings, Sue Lewis continues to create artisanal chocolates to a world-class standard. Truffles, barks, bars and more are available, with boutique flavours such as saltbush caramel, wattleseed and honey or fennel and ginger.
Gabriel Chocolate
Frustrated by the difficulty of sourcing high-quality chocolate in WA, Gabriel Chocolate became the state’s first bean to bar chocolate maker. Crafted out of their Yallingup facility, single-origin bars showcase the diversity of flavour in each location’s cacao – whether it’s the zesty, nutty profile of their Madagascan dark chocolate, or the intense, complex fruitiness of the award winning, ultra dark, 99% Venezuelan bar.
Small Batch Workshop Co.
We’re fans of Nosh’s decadent gourmet hampers, and their commitment to quality doesn’t end there. A small scale producer operating out of their Vic Park store, Small Batch Workshop Co. are creating chocolates that match the high standards already set by the store. Ultra smooth and creamy couverture chocolate, with well-balanced flavours like orange and almond, ginger and almond, or chilli flakes and sea salt.
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Cover photo via Sue Lewis