Hot Chocolate Festival 2021

Overview

Victoria's Hot Chocolate Festival is back again this August. And it's just in time, too. To save Melburnians from this month's always-frosty weather, it's churning out 31 hot chocolate flavours over 31 days.

Just like in previous years, the festival will be run across three locations: the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie in Bellbrae and the Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie. Eight different flavours will be served up each week, so make sure you plan your visit(s) carefully as to not miss out on the best.

The menu is released weekly, but it already has plenty of options to make your mouth water. The Tim Tam caramel bomb turns caramel Tim Tams into a ball and serves it with a caramel hot chocolate, while the Devonshire kronut version features a berry hot chocolate topped with — you guessed it — a kronut. The Snickertini includes shots of Baileys and vodka, while the Dreamtime hot chocolate features lemon myrtle.

All limited edition hot chocolates will be served with an extra shot of hot couverture chocolate and a giant handcrafted marshmallow. In past years, some of the highlights have arrived topped with fairy floss, melting chocolate discs and edible drinking cups — the perfect antidote to any winter blues.

The chocolateries together creates over 6000 hot chocolates per year, so newcomers can trust they know their way around this winter-warmer.

If exploring the festival and enjoying all the free chocolate tastings isn't enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, you can also book into a 45-minute tasting session at the Yarra Valley, Great Ocean Road and Mornington Peninsula stores. For $24 you'll be able to sample eight hot chocolates and make three of your own 'hot chocolate spoons' from over 50 ingredients to take home.

The Hot Chocolate Festival runs daily between Sunday, August 1–Tuesday, August 31 at the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie, 1200 Great Ocean Road, Bellbrae; the Yarra Valley Chocolateire, 35 Old Healesville Road, Yarra Glen; and the Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie, 45 Cook Street, Flinders.