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The Adventures of Elle Coco

Chocolate & Culture inspired travels

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The Adventures of Elle Coco

SOUTH PACIFIC

These Antipodeans are pretty damn good at making chocolate!

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  • View @TheCocoFairy’s profile on Twitter
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Latest Posts

  • ‘Chocolate is Magic’ – Baron Hasselhoff
  • New Zealand shines on the global chocolate map, scooping up awards across the board at the Academy of Chocolate 2025.
  • Welcome to Wonderland
  • Peace and Chocolate in Pimalum
  • ‘You want to make a good chocolate, you have to make a good cacao’
'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 Barron 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."' Link in bio to read the full interview with the awesome Clayton & Erin, the power duo behind the magic @baronhasselhoffs chocolate quest. Working with beans from @gastoncacaovanuatu , and couverture from @weavecacao . Photography by the awesome @samthekiwi 📸 Having spent an inspiring few weeks back home in London last October judging for the UK’s @acadofchocolate , 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 (30!!) medals, from just five makers in a country of barely 5.2 million people. I then spent some time crunching the numbers, wondering how did New Zealand fare on the world stage in terms of awards received per capita...number ONE! That's where! As the chaos of Christmas festivities eases, I'm reminiscing about my chocolate-filled last couple of months. It was such a pleasure returning home to London in October, not just to judge for the @acadofchocolate again (first time since 2019), but also to attend @salonduchocolat for the first time since 2016 (yeah, I went to Paris for the day😂). This year was extra special as it was the 30th anniversary of the festival! What a year it's been for chocolate judging. A couple of months back I had the absolute pleasure of catching up with Kate Necklen , the girl boss and mastermind behind @wonderlandchocolatenz , based in Lyall Bay here in Wellington. It's been a while, but my latest interview with one of our awesome New Zealand chocolate makers lands on the blog Friday 19th December! I know I've been a little quiet on here this past month! The latest of my adventures is now live on The Adventures of Elle Coco - link in bio. What a treat it was spending time with @roybuktan and Lili in Pinalum, on the island of Malekula in Vanuatu. Roy works closely with Oli of @gastonchocolat , and @samthekiwi and I were lucky to get out there for a few days to lend a hand with a small harvest they needed. Aah yes, that London Chocolate Week in 2012 while running the @williamcurley and @amedeitoscana chocolate stall, I held my first ever real fresh cacao pod (from Trinidad and Tobago).

Cocoa Adventures

#cheflife at Mekana Chocolates, New Zealand
#cheflife at Mekana Chocolates, New Zealand
Edmund
Edmund
Beans drying in the sun
Beans drying in the sun
Harvesting the pods, and making a bit of a mess
Harvesting the pods, and making a bit of a mess
Cocoa Hash
Cocoa Hash
Beautifully detailed eggs, filled with Fazer classics
Beautifully detailed eggs, filled with Fazer classics
The cacao trees at Peter Beier HQ are quite happy in giant plant pots - Gurre, Denmark
The cacao trees at Peter Beier HQ are quite happy in giant plant pots – Gurre, Denmark
To graft cacao root stocks you need a steady hand
To graft cacao root stocks you need a steady hand
Mattieu, Sharon, me and David
Mattieu, Sharon, me and David
Chocolate tree pose
Chocolate tree pose
Chocolate Workshop
Chocolate Workshop
Building Swales
Building Swales
The signature criolla truffles - Criollo Chocolaterie, Malmo Sweden
The signature criolla truffles – Criollo Chocolaterie, Malmo Sweden
Donkey Time
Donkey Time
Their aroma was just spellbinding
Their aroma was just spellbinding
Passionfruit couture chocolate
Passionfruit couture chocolate
Annelli Viik's white chocolate truffle and the Romeo and Juliet went down a treat
Annelli Viik’s white chocolate truffle and the Romeo and Juliet went down a treat
Smaller more 'bespoke' bars with unusual pairings - dark and pollen anyone? - Kehrwieder, Tallinn Old Town, Estomia
Smaller more ‘bespoke’ bars with unusual pairings – dark and pollen anyone? – Kehrwieder, Tallinn Old Town, Estomia
Coffee and Milk Chocolate - OmNom Chocolates, Reykjavik, Iceland
Coffee and Milk Chocolate – OmNom Chocolates, Reykjavik, Iceland
Second fish, I'm getting good at this
Second fish, I’m getting good at this
Eating the chocolate face mask
Eating the chocolate face mask
Edmund, Budz and I
Edmund, Budz and I
IMG_0358
Dancing the cocoa
Dancing the cocoa
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Raspberry macarons with rose ganache
Raspberry macarons with rose ganache
For all our hard work, we were gifted a pod that took our fancy to take home with us
For all our hard work, we were gifted a pod that took our fancy to take home with us
Peyton and Byrne Chocolate range
Peyton and Byrne Chocolate range
Bennett's
Peter's pyramid interpretation of the flodderblomb
Peter’s pyramid interpretation of the flodderblomb

Memberships and Affiliations

Academy of Chocolate

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  • HOME
  • REVIEWS
    • KNOWLEDGE
    • CACAO TEA
    • DRINKING CHOCOLATE
    • FILLED CHOCOLATES
    • FLAVOURED BARS
    • ORIGIN BARS
  • ADVENTURES
    • CHOCO-MAP
    • AFRICA
      • Morocco
    • ASIA
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • Macau
      • Mongolia
    • EUROPE
      • Belgium
      • Croatia
      • Denmark
      • Estonia
      • Finland
      • France
      • Georgia
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Malta
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • The Netherlands
      • United Kingdom
    • MIDDLE EAST
      • Dubai
    • THE AMERICAS
      • Barbados
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • El Salvador
      • Grenada
      • Guatemala
      • Honduras
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • United States
        • California
        • Hawai’i
        • Nevada
        • New Mexico
        • Washington
    • THE PACIFIC
      • New Zealand
      • Vanuatu
  • CONTACT
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