Where is your local pick up address?
We are located at 2/18 Chrome Street, Salisbury 4107 QLD Australia. If you live nearby and select the local pick up option at the checkout we will make your order available at our warehouse between 10am and 5pm week days.
How much is postage?
Postage within Australia is a flat rate of $8 and free for all orders over $50 in value. Overseas postage is a flat rate of $25 to the USA, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. For other countries please enquire through the contact page or send an email to ‘sales@nickschocolate.com.au’.
Where can I buy your chocolate?
Right here! Click the SHOP link, proceed to each product page, click ‘add to cart’ and then go to the shopping cart when you’re ready to check out!
Want a more personal experience? Here’s a list of our retailers.
Brisbane:
- Monty’s Chocolates (Padington & City)
- Cup Coffee (Woolloongabba)
- Superior Fruit & Wendy’s Kitchen (Graceville)
- Briki (St Lucia)
- Rosalie Gourmet Market (Rosalie)
- The Tiller Coffee (Alderley)
- Di Bella Coffee (Bowen Hills)
- Merriweather Cafe (South Brisbane)
- Julia’s Pantry (Kenmore)
- Bread & Butter (Bulimba)
- Roost Coffee (Kelvin Grove)
- The Green Edge (Windsor)
- Marcia’s on Montague (West End)
- Strauss (Brisbane CBD)
- Gas Espresso (Sherwood)
- The Beansmith (Ashgrove West)
- Plenty (West End)
Townsville:
- Mary Who? Bookshop
Who uses your chocolate?
- Cup Coffee Roastery (Woolloongabba)
- Merriweather Cafe (South Brisbane)
- Julia’s Pantry (Kenmore)
- Roost Coffee (Kelvin Grove)
- The Little Prince Espresso (Woolloongabba)
- Half Lever Espresso (West End)
- Statler & Waldorf (Paddington)
- Restaurant Two (Brisbane CBD)
- Stokehouse (Southbank)
- Gas Espresso (Sherwood)
Is your chocolate hand made?
Yes, from the sorting of the beans to the wrapping of the labels.
Is all of your chocolate Fair Trade?
Some of the cocoa is Fair Trade certified while others are not; it depends on the region and country of origin. The others have been sourced from co-ops working with farmers or directly through my own contacts. However, fair trade is also a rather vague term people tend to toss around without actually knowing what it entails. All beans have been acquired through the best socially aware and ethical means at significantly higher prices than market value. As for “Fair Trade Certified” beans, the farmers actually receive less than the market price and the certifying body makes a profit much higher than what the farmers receive. None of my labels include the certifications attached to each of the beans because I feel I have done my absolute best to source the best and in doing so I hope to make consumers more aware of trade issues attached to certification. However, all the information is still on the website under the “additional information” tab on the product pages.
Is all of your chocolate organic?
No. Some of the beans are organic as noted on the website; however not all the ingredients are organic. The sugar used is Australian cane sugar which is not organically certified however the lecithin is organic. The chocolate which does not note the beans as being organic are obviously not organic too.
Is your chocolate gluten free?
Yes.
Is your chocolate vegan?
All the dark chocolates are vegan while the milk drinking chocolate is not. Care is taken to ensure there is no cross contamination.
Is dark chocolate good for you?
Some studies have found evidence that dark chocolate could be, although they are not conclusive and warrant further investigation. It’s also important to distinguish that dark chocolate contains no animal fats like milk or white chocolate. Nick’s Chocolate consists of simply cocoa, Australian cane sugar and a natural emulsifier. Studies so far have found some links between dark chocolate and better cardiovascular health, decreased blood pressure and increased brain activity. It should also be noted that on average people who eat dark chocolate regularly have a lower BMI than those who do not. Cocoa also contains precursors for dopamine, a neurotransmitter that controls the brains reward and pleasure centres. Additionally cocoa is the most potent natural source of antioxidants in the world when put up to a free radical oxidant absorption test. However, chocolate like anything should be consumed in moderation alongside a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Don’t take my word for it though, if you’re interested in doing some further review:
Field, D. T., Williams, C. M., Butler, L. T. (2011). Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in an acute improvement in visual and cognitive functions. Physiology & Behavior 103 (2011) 255-26.
Hooper, L., Kay, C., Abdelhamid, A. (2012). Effects of chocolate, cocoa, and flavan-3-ols on cardiovascular health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials1-3. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2012;95:740-51.
Fernández-Murga, L., Tarín, J. J., García-Perez, M. A., Cano, A. (2011). The impact of chocolate on cardiovascular health. Maturitas 69 (2011) 312-321.
Taubert, D., Roesen, R., Lehmann, C., et all. (2007). Effects of Low Habitual Cocoa Intake on Blood Pressure and Bioactive Nitric Oxide: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA, July 4, 2007 – Vol. 298, No. 1.