Surrender to the choclate rush
I’m beginning to think Simone Gordon, director of the Chocolate Rush festival, was put on this earth to make me fat.
Chatting to her over the phone about the festival, I realise that around every second word she utters in her soothing Kiwi tones is “chocolate”. When I hang up, I’m struck by an intense urge to nip out of the bnews office for a family-sized block of something very unhealthy. It’s classic not-very-subliminal advertising.
But Gordon was not sent here to give me type 2 diabetes. Rather, her passion is chocolate, and sharing it with the masses.
The second annual Chocolate Rush festival is taking over the Abbotsford Convent precinct for a weekend in August, with an array of classes, workshops and a chocolate market. Gordon is hard-pressed to recommend a favourite part of the festival.
“It depends on who you are,” she says. “Michael Rispe and Jean-Marc Bernelin are coming. Michael Rispe was Gordon Ramsay’s pastry chef, and he’s an amazing pastry chef to watch. We’ve also got 34 chocolatiers that will be in the chocolate market.”
The good news is that there will be an array of chocolates available for tasting.
“Our producers will certainly have some of their produce for tasting, as will some of our food and wine guys,” says Gordon.
“Allan Campion, who does a lot of food and wine tours, will be doing a food and wine matching tour within the festival. You’ll be able to mix and match some regional produce with some gorgeous chocolate.”
She promises that there’s more to the festival than just mountains of choccy. There’ll be live entertainment as well.
“We’ve got our fabulous song competition, and the artists have all written songs about chocolate,” she enthuses.
Seriously?
“They have! The finalists will all be performing live at the festival.”
In this socially-conscious age of fair trade purchasing, chocolate seems to be going the way of coffee, with consumers wanting to see producers’ credentials before they hand over their cash. The festival focuses mainly on local, Victorian-brand chocolates, but does it cater to those wanting chocolate in all its newer, incarnations, be it organic, fair trade or the like?
“Absolutely! Allan Campion will be taking a class called The World Of Chocolate, and he will take the class through chocolates varying from commercial through to artisan, from Europe to the States and local. It’s just like a wine tasting, only chocolate!”
Sounds delicious. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to get that family block.
info: The Chocolate Rush Festival is on in Melbourne August 9 & 10. Details: www.chocolaterush.com.au
by NICK BOND from www.bnews.net.au
