Australian Chocolate Festival

Overview

For most of us, a block of chocolate rarely goes astray. However, if you're the kind of chocoholic who takes their sweet treat seriously, the Australian Chocolate Festival is bound to earn its place in your calendar. Back for a second year at Seaworks in Williamstown, this expansive two-day event showcases some of the best in the business through an immersive bean-to-bar experience.

Running Saturday, July 5–Sunday, July 6, expect wall-to-wall chocolate bliss as the festival presents 35 ethical chocolate-making experts from 10 countries. With genuine masters making the trip from as far as Japan and Ecuador, the Australian Chocolate Festival might just be the only place where you can meet the people producing the cacao beans that make each nibble such a pleasurable experience.

With over 70 samples to compare and contrast throughout the festival, this year features a host of well-known craft chocolate names, with the likes of Mörk Chocolate, Cuvée Chocolate and Wellington Chocolate Factory setting up stalls for the event. Joining these renowned brands are up-and-comers on the bean-to-bar scene, like Spencer Cocoa — handmade in Mudgee, NSW — and Living Koko, a small-batch, guilt-free treat using cacao from the Samoan Islands.

While this all sounds rather indulgent, the Australian Chocolate Festival is stepping things up even further by presenting an optional Chocolate & Wine Tasting Session. Offering visitors the chance to mix and match their ideal flavour combos, tickets for this tantalising upgrade cost $80. Hosted by Finn Doyle of Cacao About Town, you'll get to take home your favourite bar from the pairing.