The Artisans Rewriting Australia’s Chocolate Story
A quiet revolution is unfolding in workshops from Western Australia’s Margaret River to Tasmania’s Richmond. Australia’s bean-to-bar chocolate makers are rejecting the industrial model of pre-processed cocoa mass in favour of direct sourcing, small-batch production, and a philosophy that treats cacao with the same reverence as fine wine or specialty coffee.
Bahen & Co: Stone-Ground Craftsmanship in Margaret River
Josh and Jacqui Bahen, the masterminds behind Bahen & Co, handmake specialty chocolate in Margaret River, Western Australia, using stone-ground cacao and restored 20th-century machinery. Their approach is rooted in a simple conviction: “You just don’t get the same experience from pre-ground cacao that you can find locally. It’s always better from the source”.
Bahen & Co sources directly from five different farms across Central and South America, prioritising both flavour and relationship quality. “Good people usually means good quality and flavour,” Josh Bahen explains. The company’s stone-grinding method—a slow, low-temperature process—preserves the delicate notes and terroir of each cacao origin.
Haigh’s Chocolates: A Century of Bean-to-Bar Excellence
Australia’s oldest family-owned premium chocolate maker, Haigh’s Chocolates, has been operating independently for over a century, emphasising a bean-to-bar approach that encompasses sourcing, roasting, and refining its own cocoa beans. In 2026, Haigh’s made its highly anticipated retail debut in Brisbane, with three stores scheduled to open across Queensland.
Federation Chocolate: Tasmanian Terroir in Every Bar
Federation Chocolate, a Tasmanian artisan maker with over 30 years of history, crafts bean-to-bar chocolate at its Richmond factory, sourcing ethically from small farms in Peru, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The brand incorporates local Tasmanian ingredients including honey, lavender, and pepperberry, creating a distinctly Australian flavour profile that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Chocolate by PeterM: Provenance and Native Ingredients
In South Australia’s Barossa Valley, Chocolate by PeterM crafts bean-to-bar chocolate from Australian and South Pacific cacao beans, infused with local fruits, nuts, and herbs—some wild-foraged for truly unique flavours. All dark chocolates are dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free, with no chemical additives, reflecting a growing consumer demand for clean-label indulgence.
Jasper and Myrtle: Canberra’s Small-Batch Pioneer
Founded in 2015 by Li Peng Monroe, Jasper and Myrtle is a small, handmade bean-to-bar operation based in Fyshwick, Canberra. Their range includes chocolate bars, Rocky Road, drinking chocolate, and chocolate hazelnut spread, demonstrating that craft chocolate can thrive outside major metropolitan centres.
The Economics of Craft
The craft chocolate segment’s growth is not merely cultural—it is economic. Australia’s advanced craft chocolate market saw import growth of 15.57% from 2023 to 2024, with a CAGR of 5.37% from 2020 to 2024, reflecting sustained demand for premium, artisanal products. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for handcrafted, ethically sourced chocolate, and Australian makers are uniquely positioned to meet that demand with products that tell a story of place, people, and process.
