Exquisite boutique chocolate
Donarch Fine Chocolates all started about 4 years ago with the taste of a raspberry chocolate melt.
The owner and maker behind the chocolates, Donna Archer, explains, “Years ago I had a raspberry chocolate melt and I really liked the taste of it. So I then searched everywhere, high and low, to get a raspberry chocolate that I wanted, but I then couldn’t find it, so I thought I’ll go and make my own.
"I learnt how to do it, just as an interest, so it kind of just grew from there. Hence we developed the raspberry heart, which has won two gold for us (Australian Fine Food Awards)”.
As it is such a sensory experience, “you want to see it, smell it”, the shop opened just over 12 months ago after being primarily online.
You will now find Donarch Chocolates at Tenambit, just 5 minutes away from Morpeth. “We are a destination product; you will come to where we are. Destination for us was more about where can we have a shop that is easy access, easy parking. We have a really strong community support here, they are really good”.
Donna admits that having the right temperature is the biggest challenge, “you would think the cold would be good, but you can have too cold”. The processes for the chocolates can take up to three days, with each shell hand painted, “that’s therapy, it drives me nuts”!
Assuming the name was made from putting Donna’s last and first name together, she explains that that wasn’t exactly the case.
“All the colours were designed off the monarch butterfly, just because I really like that butterfly. So everything was designed and done and it was going to be Monarch Chocolates but when we went to get a trademark the name was actually held by Aldi. I was driving home one day and I was like 'why don’t I change the M to a D?' That is my first name and last name, how obvious. Everything then just fell into place.”
