Supporting Our Economy By Buying Australian Made Chocolate

We all love a bar of chocolate. It helps the body to generate the happiness hormone serotonin that can prevent depression, regulate our moods and can even stop mood swings. Buying Australian chocolate is certainly something that we should all be doing more of. Every one of us needs to be doing our bit to support the local economy as well as our fellow citizens. One negative aspect that tends to put people off from buying Australian goods is that people always think that they’re too expensive. It’s true that you can buy low priced imported chocolate that will be cheaper but of lesser quality. However, if you want something that tastes great and is packed with only the best ingredients, Aussie-made can’t be beaten!

There’s so much work that goes into making quality Australian chocolate bars. As Australians, we are lucky to enjoy the highest wages in the world. So, if you want to buy Australian-made chocs that are handmade, it takes intensive Australian labour to create them. It’s true that the minimum casual wage here is as many as 91 times higher than in certain developing countries.

Often with Aussie handmade chocolate, the actual labour costs are more than half the cost of the end product. Then, you need to take into account the Australian labour costs to pack, sell and promote the goods. You also need to think about the freight company charges. It all adds up.

Quality Chocolate

You may be thinking to yourself as you read this that you don’t ever buy cheap chocolate. However, did you know that even the bigger brands such as Cadbury use cheaper quality ingredients? Additionally, all their bars are machine-made, so labour costs are kept to a minimum. Also, if you’re in the habit of buying Belgian chocolate, being Belgian doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better quality.

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Jolly Ranchers – A Flavour Explosion!

When you’re craving something sweet and fruity Jolly Rancher candy is tough to beat. These yummy American candies are the perfect choice when you’re looking for something tasty and flavoursome to chew on! From the second you first smell their mouth-watering scent, you’ll be transported back to those childhood days when Jolly Rancher candy and Starburst lollies were a weekend treat!

The Story of Jolly Rancher Candy

Bill and Dorothy Harmsen founded the candies way back in 1949. They named their company ‘Jolly Rancher’ because it had a Western hospitable sound to it. Originally the company specialised in hard candies, chocolate and ice cream with their biggest focus being on the ice cream side. Bill and Dorothy sold their ice cream through a chain store named ‘Ranch Made Ice Cream’ that was based in Denver, Colorado. The couple soon found that their ice cream sales fell away in the winter months, so they decided that the needed to promote something more sustainable. They then decided to focus their business on hard candies. Thank goodness that they did because we love Jolly Rancher candy!!

Fast forward to 1996 and the Hershey’s company then acquired Jolly Rancher Candy. To this day, the brand has grown hugely with so many types and varieties of Jolly Ranchers available to buy. Jolly Rancher candies are truly irresistible. There are lots to try like Jolly Rancher Chews, Jolly Rancher Bites and you can even try Jolly Rancher lollipops! If you’ve never sampled them before, the Chews have all the flavour of the original hard candies but they’re soft and chewy! Another firm favourite with so many of our customers are the Jolly Rancher Sour Surge candies. These are hard on the outside with a sour and powdery centre – so amazing!

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20 Amazing Chocolate Facts

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when we mention chocolate bars? Warmth? Happiness? Luxury? Cravings? Whatever relationship you have with the sweet stuff, it’s likely that it’s a loving one – especially due to the fact that you’re here reading this blog!

Kids and adults alike love chocolate. It’s so wonderful that it can even solve every problem imaginable. Feel sad? Eat chocolate. Got something to celebrate? Then why not buy a whole box? Chocolate should really be the 8th wonder of the world when you think about it. In fact, it’s been so highly prized throughout time that it’s even been used as currency! So, whether you enjoy sugar-free chocolate, good old Australian chocolate, Whittakers chocolate or any other type, read on for some amazing chocolate facts!

1. Cacao seeds were used as money by the Aztecs
2. The first ever chocolate bar was invented by Joseph Fry in 1847
3. Montezuma II, the Aztec emperor, drank over 50 cups of chocolate every day!
4. Chocolate milk aids recovery after a workout
5. The chocolate river in the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was made with cream, chocolate and a staggering 15,000 gallons of water! Sounds amazing? The cast said that it stank because it spoiled so quickly.
6. Way back in 1930, a lady named Ruth Wakefield ran out of baker’s chocolate while making cookies, so she used Nestle chocolate pieces instead. She later sold on her idea for creating chocolate chip cookies to Nestle for a gift of a lifetime supply of chocolate!
7. Bizarrely, Lays once produced limited edition chips coated in milk chocolate. Yum!?
8. An Aztec slave could be purchased for 100 cocoa beans

Why We Crave Crunchy Snacks

We all crave crunchy snacks like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and chips every now and then. They’re tasty and they’re handy to have in the kitchen when we feel like a bite. Have you ever wondered why you crave something crunchy though? You know those times where a soft sandwich will never do and all you want to enjoy is that satisfying crispiness in your mouth? In this blog, we take a look at a little bit of the science behind why we love crunchy and loud foods.

A sensory experience

People just love the sensory experience of eating noisy, crunchy snacks. As we’re demolishing them, the sound brings us feelings of satisfaction. When we hear it, we just want to eat more. However, if you’re on the receiving end of listening to someone else loudly crunching, it can be pretty annoying. So, crunching is a very personal thing!

Fresher food is good food

Interestingly, babies aren’t born enjoying noisy food. There are no benefits to the sounds a food makes as we’re eating them in terms of nutrition. Having said that, it’s true that noisy foods tend to make us feel that they are fresh. Think about it, whenever you’ve eaten a soggy or even slightly less crunchy chip, its likely that you’ve not enjoyed it or thrown the bag away. Even thinking about fresh produce, such as celery or apples, the better the crunch, the fresher it is and the more nutrients and vitamins it contains.

Noisier foods tend to be fattier

Another school of thought when it comes to crunchy American snacks, Japanese snacks and more is that our brains enjoy the fat in food and that noisy foods tend to be fattier. We always enjoy a little something that we know might not be great for us in huge amounts, especially when it’s flavour-laden!

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