When November hits, Brisbane starts celebrating one of everyone's favourite 'ch' words, with festive cheer filling the city seemingly everywhere it can. Craft'd Grounds has a different idea, however. The Albion precinct is swapping seasonal merriment for that other adored term that starts with the same two letters: chocolate.
From Friday, November 25–Sunday, November 27, if there's a way to work chocolate into something, this Chocolate Fiesta will manage it — which, if you're a chocoholic, makes for a supremely appetising prospect. Chocolate pastries, chocolate rum tastings, food trucks slinging chocolate treats, a screening of Chocolat: they're all on the menu at this first-ever choc fest at the venue.
Arrive hungry from 5pm on the Friday, with everything on offer via a heap of meals-on-wheels purveyors all sporting a chocolate twist. Milton Rum Distillery will also be pouring tastings of its limited-edition chocolate tipple, which'll give your after-work drinks a decadent spin.
On Saturday, the focus is on family-friendly dishes; think: chocolate milkshakes and chocolate croissants, plus a treasure hunt for kids. But Doughcraft is doing two chocolate specials from 7am daily all weekend: a choc honeycomb shoux filled with honeycomb ganache and topped with dark chocolate crémeux, plus a brownie tart made with with toasted hazelnuts, fresh raspberries and vanilla diplomat crème.
And, on Sunday, as well as the aforementioned French film screening, there's a five-course festive lunch at French restaurant Herve's. Or, from 1pm, hit up The Black for live tunes and chocolate cocktails.
