New Zealand – The Adventures of Elle Coco

From Bordeaux to the Bay – Coromandel Chocolate

It’s December and summertime in New Zealand, supposedly. We’re battling torrential rain as we take the winding road from Waihi to Whangamatā on the northeastern coast of the North Island, the kind of road where every corner and turn you take results in a new vista with the rain so torrential you hope your wipers can keep up. Whangamatā is a cute coastal town on the edge of the Coromandel Peninsula – surfing territory, holiday territory, the kind of place where the quintessential Kiwi bach outnumbers mansions and the sound of the ocean is never far away. Not the first place you’d expect to find a French-trained bean to bar chocolate maker, perhaps, but to Thomas Capdevielle, a keen surfer with a potent mix of salt and cacao in his blood, it couldn’t be more perfect.

‘Chocolate is Magic’ – Baron Hasselhoff

The smell hits you before the door has even closed behind you. Rich, deep, intoxicating, that unmistakable aroma of cacao being ground into something truly magical. It’s a grey Wellington morning on Adelaide Road in Berhampore, and there is a distinct bite and sprinkling of rain in the air. A typical spring day. But I’m not phased, I’ve just stepped inside Baron Hasselhoff’s, what one might describe as a mini chocolate emporium, and Clayton McErlane – Chief Chocolate Disciple, as he officially goes by – is behind the counter, melangeurs whirring and rumbling away in the background. Erin Todd, Clayton’s partner in chocolate and officially Chief Everything Else Officer is mid-conversation with their final customer of the day, but waves us in with a smile that says sit down, we’ll be with you in a sec.

New Zealand shines on the global chocolate map, scooping up awards across the board at the Academy of Chocolate 2025.

Having spent an inspiring few weeks last October judging for the UK’s Academy of Chocolate, I eagerly scrolled through the email in December announcing the winners. I knew New Zealand was in a strong position, but when the results came through I was blown away. Thirty medals, from just five makers in a country of barely 5.2 million people.

New Zealand may frequently get missed off world maps for all sorts of things, but our place was now even more firmly solidified on the world chocolate map!

Welcome to Wonderland

It was a bright yet blustery day in Wellington, the sun was shining but there was a distinct nip in the air, typical for late winter when the early hints of spring are just beginning to make themselves known. I was heading to Lyall Bay. Not to surf, although conditions were good. No, I was off to meet Kate Necklen, the creative mastermind behind the magic that is Wonderland Chocolate.

But Why Vegan? But Why Not?

It was a cold start in late July, leaving a wintery Wellington to head to an even more wintery Christchurch, having to scrape thick ice off the hire car on our arrival. But I was on a mission to interview New Zealand’s Outstanding Food Producer Awards winner Nel Vincencio, the mastermind behind Mind Your Temper, and no amount of ice or snow was going to stop me!

Wine is a Right of Passage

PASSAGE ROCK – WAIHEKE

It’s the last day of our Waiheke Island tour and I’ve developed a great feel for the place, early morning jogs along the beach, sunset walks, exploring beach-side and inland vineyards to compare the difference in the wine, dining on some of the most amazing fare and explored the amazing chocolate shops and dessert bars of mainland Auckland.

It was time for the last vineyard of our short stay, and we were not disappointed. Passage Rock Vineyard is in the south of the island, near Orapiu Bay.

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Chocolate and Wine is all You Need

With a surprisingly light hangover from the day before (once we returned from Man O’War we could’t resist opening some of the wine we’d purchased to take home with us – self restraint is hard with wine so good!) we began the day watching the sunrise from the balcony with a hearty breakfast before hopping across on the ferry to Auckland, for chocolate hunting…

Some sound chocolate advice from my Auckland adventures

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A Vineyard by the Sea

Waiheke is one of those magical places that you think only exist in fairy tales, or the lives of super yacht owners. Luckily for Aucklanders, or anyone visiting Auckland, Waiheke is very easy to get to, only an hour’s ferry ride from Auckland harbour and at around NZ$20 one way that’s really not bad at all.

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Free-fall to Chocolate

Our time up North had sadly come to an end, and despite eating more than my fill of avocado and all manner of fish dishes – recipes can be found soon in the recipe section on this blog – it was now time to head South. I had a skydive session booked, chocolates to eat, more friends to meet and an Island of Wine to explore. Heading south we pass the Kaori store, featuring a staircase carved from a giant hollowed out Kaori tree!

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Settlers of The Far North

HOUHORA TAVERN

Now for a little history of Northland. The nearest harbour to Ngataki – Houhora Harbour was home to whalers and Dalmatian Gum Diggers (no, not the dogs, but people from the balkan area now known as Croatia, but this is also where dalmatian dogs are from). The old Post Office and Dance Hall next to Houhora Tavern date back to these pioneering days when the Dalmatian Gum Diggers were digging their fortunes of kauri gum burried below the surface of surrounding areas such as Waiharara, where the Gum Diggers Park sits now.