For those chocoholics who are looking for something other than your run-of-the-mill chocolate bar, here are our favourite artisanal choc stores.
Sjukla
This small artisanal chocolatier, whose individual sweets are handcrafted using traditional methods, is the real deal. Owner Ela Van Coillie Vosloo is of West Flanders extraction and was trained in Belgium, the land of cocoa creativity, before starting Sjukla three years ago.
Vosloo makes fine Belgian chocolates in very limited quantities, and in classic and seasonal collections. Try the passion-fruit-filled Exotic Cream, made using granadillas from her seaside garden, the Dom Pedro Kahlua cream ganache encased in Belgian white chocolate, or perhaps the Dulce de Leche Caramel butter ganache edged with black pepper encased in Belgian milk chocolate. They are all superb.
You’ll find Sjukla at the markets popping up in Port Elizabeth this summer, but – bonus – they also deliver to town, free of charge, twice a week. Vosloo also makes small slabs of Sjukla chocolate. Highly recommended.
Chocolat
One half of this boutique service company, which aims to “meet your every need in the form of all things chocolate or coffee” is an artist – literally. Raymond Westraadt is known not only for his chocolate masterpieces at weddings and events, but also for his clean-lined architectural paintings. Together with his wife, Niki, Raymond is also a distributor for Huguenot Chocolates in Franschhoek.
A taste of their own Brigadeiro – a Brazilian truffle that can be infused with Belgian chocolate to make a toffee-textured chocolate bonbon – and range of chocolate sauces, such as roasted coconut and cinnamon flavoured, is a must.
Ganache Patisserie and Chocolatier
The newest kid on the chocolate block, Ganache opened at Baywest Mall to offer a sweet treat to shoppers in need of any one of the three Cs: coffee, cake and chocolate. Owners Tracey and Thomas Marais sell couverture handcrafted truffles and pralines, supplied by Cape Town’s Chocolates by Tomes.
The Springbokkie pralines have been popular during the Rugby World Cup and, good news for banting fans, sugar-free chocolate is also on offer.
Mma-Arone Foods
Although Mma–Arone’s Dimakatso Motsepe has switched her focus away from pure confectionary towards baking, this “aspiring self-taught chocolatier” supplies corporates or larger events with her range of artisan chocolates. She also enjoys “edutaining” her customers with chocolate pairings.
Mma-Arone is a popular choice for wedding favours and you can even match your colour scheme for a bridal dessert buffet.
061 611 0901
082 307 9332
Ganache Patisserie and Chocolatier
041 492 0414 / 074 194 7590
041 360 0989 / 082 323 0326
Words: Gillian McAinsh
Images: Supplied
