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January 27, 2009 - The Courier Mail |
Written by Fiona Donnelly. Picture by Mark Cranitch
Sweet life in the chocolate house
THINK of the rolling hills and valleys of the Sunshine Coast hinterland and
chocolate probably isn't the first thing which springs to mind.
But Eumundi-based Lief Chocolate's Ken Basteur and John Hunter, who relocated to Queensland from Bendigo in Victoria three years ago, are doing their best to
change that.
Their gourmet range of handmade pralines and truffles, crafted using rich Mary Valley cream, are convincing even culinary doubters that subtropical heat is no bar to chocolate artistry.
Their Noosa Block, a classic range of chocolate blocks in such flavours as Maroochy Springs Tokay, orange-and-blanched almond and triple chocolate, is helping to put the region on the chocolate map.
"We have a purpose-built kitchen that's maintained at 18C 24 hours a day – it's wonderful on really hot days," Basteur says. "The airconditioning reduces the humidity so we can produce without problems."
The kitchen is also a source of inspiration, well situated overlooking an organic orchard which provides the limes used in the pair's popular moulded lime pralines.
From their workbench the two can watch their 18 alpacas, which they transported from Victoria. "We were sick of the drought so we moved the alpacas north to the green grass," says Basteur, who once ran Typhoon restaurant cafe in the rural goldrush town of Bendigo. "Moving here was not a snap decision. It was planned over three years."
As a hospitality hand with three decades experience, Basteur says he and Hunter were surprised to find that no one was producing premium chocolate on the Sunshine Coast.
"It's a boutique industry which has flourished for the past few years, particularly in the major cities," he says. "In Bendigo we made handmade chocolate for diners and I've always been interested in patisserie. This climate is not ideal but we are managing and we've had a fantastic response to the product."
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The name Lief means "sweetheart" in Dutch and Basteur and Hunter have named one of their alpacas after the company. "He's a real attention-seeker," Basteur says.
To test the water, the pair took a stall at Eumundi Square, part of the Eumundi Markets. "It's an incubation centre for start-up businesses," Basteur says. "Everyone has been so supportive. It's like it was meant to be, we've gone from strength to strength."
Lief now supplies wholesale as well as retail to a range of delis and restaurants around southeast Queensland, including The Sheraton at Noosa and Monty's Chocolates at Paddington.
Their most popular flavours include their lime, lemon delicious, orange cream, hazelnut, and pink champagne offerings. "We've concentrated on the more traditional flavours using nothing artificial," Basteur says. "The chocolates are 100 per cent handmade. We temper by hand, use our own and local produce and no preservatives other than alcohol."
www.liefchocolates.com.au |
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January 27, 2009 - The Noosa Journal |
Written by Isobel Coleman. Picture by Andrew Seymour
Firm gets good oil on exports
AN innovative Eumundi company has Asia in its sights as a target export market after a successful trade trip to Hong Kong.
House of Oils founders Anne-Maree and David Craigie met with buyers from China, Japan, Fiji and India, who want to sell their products or use them in luxury spas.
Eighteen Queensland beauty, lifestyle and wellbeing businesses took part in Cosmoprof Asia in 2008, in a trade mission led by Trade Queensland.
Anee-Maree said the business was originally born out of necessity to find suitable beauty products for herself and her daughters.
"I became very aware that my skin was ageing but, being allergic to Vitamin E, I just couldn't find a suitable product," she said. "I was wasting money buying products that didn't work so I decided to make my own.
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"I also needed to find natural products for my daughters, one of whom developed qutie bad eczmea. I had always made up my own creams for nappy rash etc, often using sugar, so I decided to explore that idea."
"Sugar seemed to work really well with the oils, and was also a great outlet for local sugar farmers. I was very keen to use local products.
"But I didn't like the oiliness of oils so, after even more research, I found one that wasn't oily. It dissolves away in water, and the sugar soaks in."
Anne-Maree said the overseas buyers loved the products because they were Australian, natural and made from local ingredients.
"For example, the ingredients for the lemon ironbark sugar polish are sourced right here on the coast," she said. "It's our signature product and was developed to reflect the rugged elements of the Australian outback."
Anne-Maree is changing the look of the products, creating new packaging and labelling.
"Orders are coming in off the back of our trip to Hong Kong so we are currently considering how to move forward," she said.
"Many of the overseas buyers are keen to sell our product but it has to be done right."
Anne-Maree said the trip was a marvellous opportunity to network with Australian trade ministers and learn more about the market.
"Trade Queensland is really supportive of local businesses and is constantly steeping in to help." she said.
Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations, John Mickel, said the Sunshine Coast continued to prove itself as an excellent home to businesses capable of exporting their lifestyle, cosmetic and other beauty products to overseas markets.
www.houseofoils.com.au |
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