Passionate pair continue to work towards Chocolate Farm opening
When you think of chocolate and where some of the most acclaimed and exquisitely crafted offerings regularly originate from the small nation of Belgium in the European Union quickly comes to mind.
But what still remains relatively unknown is that on the opposite side of the globe, just 15 minutes outside of Port Douglas, in the shadows of the mighty Daintree is the home base of a man who is equally adept and renowned for delivering world class chocolate.
Over the past few years Darryl Kirk’s passion for chocolate making has seen him collect a stack of awards and gain an unofficial label for being Far North Queensland’s very own and extremely humble, chocolate connoisseur.
Newsport journalist Michael Warren sat down with Darryl and wife Jennifer as they continue to work towards opening their much-anticipated Australian chocolate farm.
The passion
“Being a pastry chef over the years and working in five-star establishments really increased my interest in chocolate because during that time I got to regularly work with Belgian and Swiss chocolate,” Mr Kirk told Newsport.
“I’ve just always had a passion to make beautiful chocolate.
“It’s definitely a form of art to make quality chocolate because there’s so much that goes into making one piece of fine chocolate.
“You need the right beans that are well roasted, right temperature and other key factors that contribute to delivering, beautifully shiny and tasty chocolate.”
The self-taught chocolate maker simply loves what he does.
“It is extremely rewarding and satisfying to see the end product,” he explained.
“When you’ve come to the end of the process and you physically see a small piece of chocolate that you’ve hand made be actually ready to eat – that’s extremely gratifying.”
The success
Darryl’s gift for making the yummy treats that most people crave on a regular basis or on a cheeky Friday night hasn’t gone unnoticed.
In recent times he’s collected a swathe of awards as he continues to excel in his profession.
“Winning gold for the lemon myrtle 72% gold chocolate at the Sydney Fine Food Fair was very humbling,” he told Newsport.
“I’m lucky that I have a supportive partner in Jennifer who works incredibly hard and is so encouraging.”
A short time ago Darryl also snagged a silver in the International chocolate awards.
Inside his new workspace are a number of other accolades and awards that have come his way over the past six years.
The business
With such a love of chocolate it’s only natural that both Darryl and Jennifer thought the next natural step was to actually create a fulltime business around the delights of chocolate.
And, so they have.
After a decade of toil, mixed with setbacks, adversity and their fair share of obstacles the pair have created The Australian Chocolate Farm.
Conscious to deliver a consistently outstanding experience rather than opening the doors prematurely, the pair, quite rightfully, are yet to declare an opening date for their business.
Afterall, there is still work to be done, building blocks to be put in and a kitchen to properly complete before there is any talk of when official trade will begin.
But, when it does future guests whether they be local, domestic, or international, will literally be in for a treat.
“We want to create a memorable experience for every single person that visits us in the future,” Mrs Kirk explained.
“We plan on running farm tours in which we will show and demonstrate how chocolate is made, right through from the original bean to the beautiful chocolate that you end up eating.
“That’s really important to us; we want to take you behind the art of chocolate making so you leave with a good understanding of the process and what it’s all about.”
Not only that, but the pair will offer light lunches and, of course, sell their array of treats to visitors.
The couple also saved a final thanks to the kind folk of the Douglas Shire.
“We both want to reiterate that we are extremely thankful to everyone across the shire that’s wished us well, supported us and simply reached out to see how things are going,” the pair remarked.
“We love our community, we’re both very thankful and we look forward to welcoming everyone when we are able to open the doors.”
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