~ Curious Charlie ~

Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery - Part 1 @ Tuesday, September 03, 2013

Tuesday 27th Aug

As this post is super long we're doing three posts on the trip, the chocolate shop, cafe and exploring the area. This post alone has 33 pictures.

Today I heard a cow moo and saw an alpaca! Cross between a sheep and llama. I was like sheep? and then llama! It was pretty cool. Spending most of my time in the city I rarely ever see farm animals. Last time I saw a horse/cow (in real life) was in April when we drove to Warburton for Oxfam.

Adventure of the week wasn't in the city this week, we drove to Yarra Glen (past Lilydale) to go to the chocolate factory. Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery. Didn't go to any vineyards as one was driving and the other's an alcoholic. :P

Hot Chocolate Festival!

I spy an Intermediate Egret (big tall white bird). Size: 65cm Habitat: Found across Australia's top end and down Australia's Eastern half, inhabiting wetlands, swamps and mud flats. Oh and an alpaca (Jas says it's more of a pet than sheep used for wool).

Pretty sure that big bird isn't a duck, and we didn't see any ducks, or oompa loompas.

Lots of pictures were taken, 350-ish on total. 105 made the 2nd last pre-editing cut. Over a 6hr trip (there, back, and exploring in between) Fernando estimates it to be a picture a minute. XD

The entire place was an open plan shop and cafe. There was nice places to sit outside, but it was quite windy and crazy bright. Why is it so bright?

There was three HUGE bowls of mini buttons at the counter, one of the first things you see as you enter the shop, those are samples. Love white chocolate, really liked milk, dislike dark. Jas likes it dark though. :P

We probably ate 100g of samples together.

Broken Freckles. Love the look of them, but not texture.

$15 Wall of Selections. Reminds me of Happy Lab.

There was an Aboriginal inspired range, very interesting.

I was going to pick one of those bars as it's very unique, too unique and I didn't like any. In the shop prices start from $5, though they do have $1.20 truffles.

Doubt this will survive by the time we get home. :P

Love the look of the 1metre bar, which was $30.

Shame they have the 3 types, but not one bar with the three.

Chocolate Tea... jas says no.

They had jars of chocolate covered nuts/sultanas/licorice/etc.

Lily loves these, I got her the white chocolate one.

Aren't these pretty? They also sell them in a set, a boxed set, like a collection of books.

They're $13 each for 160g bar. I'd like it but couldn't justify the price.

Was told to stop taking pictures at this point...

Rocky Road. $9. le beau loves rocky road,

I got him the milk choc and Adrian/Helen the dark one.

I wonder what nougat actually is.

Wiki says sugar/honey, roasted nuts, whipped egg whites.

They were offering samples of nougat. I like it, but it's too hard.

I do love looking at 100s & 1000s.

Golf balls, more of a novelty thing. How are you going to eat it?

Things in boxes, they had frogs, cows, sheep. $30 each.

That gourmet chocolate box set, 4 pictures up.$75+.

Classic box of hearts, if they had a white/milk mix I'd buy it.

Gift Packs $30 - for those who can't decide what to get. :P

That's kinda cute. Not sure how well plastic and boiling water go together though...

Love this gift idea. At $20 it wasn't worth it though.

One wall was a wall window to the factory where you could see their products in creation. This is frozen(?) orange peel. It's placed on the conveyor belt, goes through a chocolate fountain, then a drying area, at the end it's packaged into orange tissue boxes ready to be sold.

Truffles $1.20+

Nougat

More truffles.

Fruit & Nut Log $3.20

Very tempting, but the $ killed it.

It was easy buying for le beau & co, as I knew what they liked, or had a rough idea. Not 100% certain Helen likes rocky road, though I know that Adrian likes it. But for myself there wasn't one single/particular item I was attracted to (other than the freckles, cause it was pretty to look at), and so I went with the pastilles (that's the one in the sample bowl). Loved the white chocolate, and really liked the milk. Why didn't they sell a box with a mix of both? They also have them in 750g for $14-ish by the way.

Jas bought a couple things, including the white chocolate nougat we sampled. He also bought a box of truffles, for Father's Day. There was a small box and big. The smaller (pictured) costs $20 and you can't pick the fruit & nut log (I think). I'd love to buy that, but can't really justify it unless it's for a special occasion e.g. promotion, xmas, our anniversary. Though I have received a beautiful box of truffles before, once.

Is there anything you would bought from the chocolate shop?

Did you go to the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie during August?

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