A chocolatier, an athlete and a perfect chocolate coffee pairing

Last week Kevin and Sean dropped in to visit the team at Chocolate Moments in the Brisbane CBD. 

Chocolate Moments is the home to delectable chocolate treats made with the finest locally sourced ingredients and premium chocolate, handcrafted right here in Brisbane. 

We asked Gerrard (one half of the Chocolate Moments team) a few questions about the coming festive season.

Sean: What does the festive season mean to you?

Gerrard: For us, it’s our ‘Chocolate Moments’. It is a great chance for us to really experiment not only with our chocolates but also the gifts that we can offer people too. It really is an exciting time of year for us because we get to play around with so many different flavours come Christmas time, whether it be apple pie chocolate through to cinnamon and apple. It gives us a chance to provide something really luxurious for Christmas. 

Sean: What is the most exciting product that you put together this year for the festive season?

Gerrard: For us, it has been about our gifting range and a range of items we actually matched up. We make sure that different chocolates match up to retail products we actually sell here in the store as well. 

Sean: So if you were matching the Festive Blend (coffee) with one of your exquisite products, how would you pair it?

Gerrard: Obviously our apple pie chocolate through to our apple and cinnamon because of the tasting notes of chocolate. A range of different nuts come into the mix as well, like macadamias and almonds, there are a host of flavours we could match to the Festive Blend.

Sean: What does it mean to you to be able to partner with some local producers?

Gerrard: We are very proud to really partner with our local stakeholders and our local partners, whether it’s coffee from Montville or ginger from Buderim. It is a great chance to really bring to the forefront the talents of people within south-east Queensland.

Sean: What do you want customers to experience when they come into your store?

Gerrard: They have a great chance to not just enjoy the taste and the flavours of our chocolate, but experience a range of great coffees and hot chocolate. If customers have a certain flavour they are after, we can play around, make it and match it up with the festive coffees as well so that when people sit down on Christmas Day they can enjoy the tasting notes of a festive blend and chocolates that go well with their dinner or lunch they’ve served on Christmas Day.

Sean: So you don’t just have to take your chocolate home, you can come into the store and break up your shopping experience at Chocolate Moments?

Gerrard: Yes we have some fantastic slices and brownies that go really well with the Festive Blend and we host a range of different products as well as the experience of coming and working with our fantastic staff and the environment in which we have here. It really is a step away from the hustle and bustle of the Brisbane CBD and we certainly believe is the moments like that that make memories.

Sean: What are you grateful for this Christmas?

Gerrard: I am grateful for the chance to have a family where we can enjoy time together over the festive period, as well as the chance to really enjoy some time out. It has been a challenging moment for everyone over the last two years. For me now, it is the excitement of the year ahead, not only working with chocolate and making coffee but my pursuits as an athlete and the chance to present Australia at the Commonwealth Games.

Sean: In 20 words or less, who are you?

Gerrard: I strive to be a great chocolatier and as an athlete, an adventure, an explorer and a family person, I think my biggest theme in life is that it is a journey, it’s never, ever a destination. 

Check out the video we made of our visit and find out a little bit more about Gerrard, Brisbane local, Paralympian and chocolate connoisseur.