Wellington Chocolate Factory ✕ Karen Walker
New Zealand fashion designer Karen Walker and ethical New Zealand chocolate company, Wellington Chocolate Factory, have released a brand-new limited-edition chocolate collection celebrating a fusion of fashion, craft, and distinctly Kiwi ingredients.
Three new flavours have been developed for the collection; Feijoa & Hazelnut, Blood Orange, and Passionfruit. Each bar, hand poured in a mould featuring the iconic Karen Walker Runaway Girl, takes around five days to make. For the wrapping Karen Walker has created a bespoke print; ‘Backyard’.
Hidden in two bars are two 'golden tickets' from Karen. The lucky people who find these will receive a 9-carat gold Mini Runaway Girl Necklace.
Gabe Davidson, Founder of Wellington Chocolate Factory (WCF), says they're incorporating a bright swirl of colour and flavour on the back of the Blood Orange and Passionfruit bars - the first time they've used the technique.
"I've Always Wanted To Use Bold, Bright Colours On Our Chocolate – Craft And Creativity Sits At The Heart Of Our Brand, So Working With Karen Was The Perfect Opportunity To Use Colour In Our Bars.”
It's something Kiwis won't have seen before. The swirls are made using white chocolate, and each swirl is done by hand - meaning no two are the same.”
"Not only do they look beautiful, but each bar also tastes amazing. Karen was instrumental in coming up with the three flavours and wanted each bar to really taste like feijoa, passionfruit, or blood orange. When you bite into it, the exquisite flavours hit your tastebuds and your mouth waters. Karen tasted some of the feijoa chocolate straight from our grinders and was blown away by the flavour - and we know Kiwis will be too," says Gabe Davidson.
Karen Walker says “I’ve been a huge fan of Wellington Chocolate Factory since I was first introduced to their extraordinary hot chocolates a few years ago so when it came to creating our summer programme of working with the very best local artisans they were already top of mind. WCF are the perfect partners for our first foray into a ready-to-eat design; delicious, certified Fairtrade and bespoke.”
She adds, “I wanted the concept to be a celebration of the classic New Zealand backyard - a nostalgic journey through the flavours so many of us grew up with. I remember well long summers where the passionfruit vine gave and gave and gave and what childhood garden (or neighbour’s garden) didn’t have a feijoa or citrus? This nostalgic journey through New Zealand backyard flavours are what this range is all about”
WCF is New Zealand's original ethical and sustainable bean-to-bar chocolate-maker. Gabe Davidson says having Karen Walker raise awareness about their craft and commitment to ethical chocolate is hugely important.
"I want more people to ask what goes into their chocolate and to know where those ingredients are from. Not many chocolate makers are as transparent or open as we are. We use (and add) only what matters – our cocoa beans are Fairtrade, our growers receive a fair wage, and there's absolutely no slavery anywhere in our supply chain.”
"Our beans are sustainably grown, and our ingredients are sustainably sourced and organic (where we can). All of this matters - the more we talk about it, the better it is for everyone along the supply chain, and it makes better tasting chocolate," says Gabe Davidson.
The WCF x Karen Walker collection is available for a limited time online and in-store at Karen Walker and Playpark by Karen Walker stores, as well as WCF's Eva Street Factory.
