A normal day's work for any one of our chocolatiers involves tempering, stirring, pouring, scraping, piping, mixing and decorating. At Easter the list extends to crafting bunnies, baby chicks and mother hens, which means the team work longer hours and are thinking bunnies rather than beaches!
It's always hugely rewarding to see the work, which began months ago in the development kitchen, taking shape. We cope with the extra workload at this time of year with careful planning and preparation and many extra hours are put in by our talented and dedicated staff. One of our major Easter hits this year is a new product - marshmallow hot cross buns, which are perfectly decorated and utterly delicious. In the last few weeks we have hand decorated 12,000 buns with chocolate crosses, which has left tired yet happy hands.
Christmas is another particularly busy period for us and a similar amount of planning goes into making sure production and packing is able to keep up with demand. We are lucky to have an excellent team who are always willing and able to put in the hard yards to meet the needs of our customers.
What have been some of the challenges, as well as some of the benefits of being based in Mangawhai?
Mangawhai is a special place; it seems to have its own rules and rhythm. I find I live a more wholesome life here, away from commercialisation in general. And even though Bennetts has contributed to the growth in Mangawhai I like to think it is in a positive way and that we have created a destination - a place where people can escape for a day and enjoy another world.
We've found that a lot of our inspiration comes from our location; we use many local products in our chocolates, which have a distinctly New Zealand taste. Our location is special and unique and mindful of this, we try to contribute back into the area. We have developed a range of 'birds of New Zealand'-themed chocolates and actively support two conservation efforts: the Fairy Tern Trust and, with our new chocolate kiwi egg, we are supporting Marunui Conservation's work with kiwi in the Brynderwyn Ranges.
Our staff, who are mainly locals, help create a feeling of family and belonging at the heart of Bennetts. Our French chocolatier definitely cites the beautiful location as an 'added bonus' of working at Bennetts.
There are some difficulties in being located off the beaten track, but we have very good procedures for distributing our stock. The benefits definitely outweigh any difficulties.
What are some of the trends you're seeing in the chocolate business in general?
Many people see chocolate as a 'superfood' and search for high cocoa mass products. I don't think it should be analysed in this way. It's a pure indulgence and I encourage people to eat whatever takes their fancy just for the pure pleasure of it.
What do you think it takes to be successful in this market?
Perfection and precision are major keys to the success of Bennetts. And I think being an outsider gives one an advantage, as I believe you are more aware of what's important when developing your business and products. Top of that list has to be the pride New Zealanders have in their their natural environment, and that has influenced everything we do from choosing new flavours and textures to supporting wildlife.
Coming up in Small Business: I'll be taking a look at small manufacturing companies. What does it take to be successful as a little guy in this sector? If you've got a story to tell, please get in touch: nzhsmallbusiness@gmail.com.
