Q+A: LITTLE COCOA | HANDMADE WEDDING CHOCOLATES GOLD COAST QLD

WEDDING FAVOURS GIFTS BON BONS HANDMADE AUSTRALIAN CHOCOLATES

Little Cocoa opened it’s doors in August 2018. Alicia started this business after working for many years as a pastry chef and really loved working with chocolate. "I thought there was an opportunity for artisan chocolates to be included in weddings and special events. I think couples are increasingly looking for something unique, fresh and memorable for their special day." Alicia Chapman - Little Cocoa

what can LITTLE COCOA offer a couple for their Wedding day? We offer a unique and modern take on bomboniere/wedding favours. Our standard bomboniere includes two hand-crafted chocolate pralines inside a white gloss box. We can also incorporate specific colour and flavour requests, I love experimenting with the look of the chocolates - the splatter of colours on the dark chocolate. There’s also an option to emboss a special message or the bride & groom's name and wedding date on the top of the box.We can also supply chocolate pralines for use on a dessert table.

what keeps you inspired along the way? Definitely when I make a batch of chocolate pralines without any flaws (the shell thickness is consistent, the cocoa butter colours are beautiful and overall the praline has a high gloss). But in saying that, that’s exactly what makes them so beautiful, when they are all individual and unique. I also keep inspired when a customer comes to me with a flavour or colour request. I get very excited to get into the kitchen and create it.

do you have any stories that you would like to share from your experiences? When I was living in Berlin two years ago, I found the most amazing chocolate shop that makes bean to bar chocolate. It was probably the first time I tasted bean to bar or anything like it - it was rich, smooth, cocoa-y and had a fruity aftertaste. That became my favourite little shop, and part of the reason why I started Little Cocoa. I want to be able to offer an experience like that to all my couples - that they and their guests can be amazed and delighted by an artisanal chocolate product.

do you have a personal favourite flavour? Anything tangy, and ironically not sweet. I make a chocolate praline that is filled with a tangy blackcurrant gelee and paired with a dark Vietnamese single origin ganache. I love it. That said, I enjoy experimenting with new flavours, such as a strawberry and lime praline that I’ve created exclusively for our Valentines Day range.

what is the best part about what you do: 100% when a customer is happy with their chocolates. It’s the best feeling. I may have even shed a little tear when my very first customer sent me a long thank you message and said how much he and his wife loved them.