Taste a month-long festival of new rocky road flavours

IS IT BETTER with clinkers or snakes? Is it the raspberry lollies or marshmallows that make it so good?

You can have a long debate about makes a great rocky road.

And that’s exactly what Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie in Bellbrae has enjoyed doing every May for the the past eight years for the month-long Rocky Road Festival.

“Our festival gives us the opportunity to make 31 different variations of it so everyone can find their favourite,” marketing manager Lee Wilkinson said.

Dubai Chocolate, Biscoff Honeycomb, Caramel Toblerone, Mango Chipotle and Peanut Butter Pretzel are among this year’s headline acts.

Chocolatier Thomas Balbiano was also inspired to create a blue-coloured rocky road as his daughters love the Lilo & Stitch movies.

 

 

Ms Wilkinson, who noted the sweet treat was one of the chocolaterie’s best-sellers year-round, said the Dubai flavour was the most popular early in the festival.

“It’s a worldwide phenomenon at the moment… the combination of the pistachio, chocolate and flaky Kataifi pastry, as well as the salty elements, is really unique.”

Head chocolatier Allan Grandjean shared insight into the building blocks of rocky road.

“We’ll create over 100,000 handmade blocks for the May celebration – and while extra creative ingredients will feature in each rocky road we make, the foundation of every festival flavour is our fine milk, dark, white, ruby or caramelised white couverture chocolate and the fluffiest of house-made marshmallows,” he said.

 

 

Ms Wilkinson said the business had enjoyed a busy summer and Easter period despite the challenge of cocoa prices rising internationally.

“Every cocoa provider is affected by it, we’ve tried to manage it as best we can and do as much pre-purchasing of our chocolate as we can to sustain us for as long as possible.

“It is impacting prices a little bit but hopefully the environmental and sustainability plans that have been put in place for the industry will turn things around within the next two years for us.

“We’re working really closely with our chocolate providers to make sure that happens.”

The festival also features rocky road desserts, ice creams, made-to-order 1kg blocks and hosted tasting sessions.

There are also vegan and gluten-friendly creations, plus a no added sugar block.