Wendy Alford has combined her love of good food and luxury accommodation at her business at Tocumwal.
There is chocolate and then there is chocolate.
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According to chocolatier Wendy Alford from the Tocumwal Chocolate School, the secret ingredient is a little bit of knowledge about the origins of chocolate.
Wendy has blended her two passions, high quality food and luxury accommodation, and is busily educating people about chocolatey goodness from the comfort of her B&B studios.
“My husband Martin and I made the tree change from Melbourne a few years ago,” Wendy said.
“I designed the property as an all-in-one location. There is a separate chocolate lab that is climate-controlled, meaning I can work chocolate all-year-round.
“We cater for day students who might travel from around the region and we also have residential students who stay in our riverside accommodation.”
Wendy is passionate about providing an experience for her guests with chocolate tastings exposing people to 14 types of chocolate from around the world.
“You learn how chocolate is grown, processed, the origins of it, tasting notes and what chocolate characteristics are,” Wendy said.
“It helps people to think ethically and sustainably when purchasing chocolate.”
When Country News spoke to her it was days before the chocolate feast more commonly known as Easter.
Wendy peeled back the foil on the good, the bad and the ugly elements of the chocolate industry.
“Cheap chocolate is made with compound chocolate which includes hydrogenated oil,” she said.
“The body does not process these oils, which is why it ended up on the evil list with margarine.”
After managing a fencing contracting business with Martin for longer than she cares to admit, Wendy’s interest in chocolate making went up a notch after a trip to France 10 years ago.
While there she immersed herself in cooking classes, meeting pastry chefs and gathering knowledge.
“It’s finally my turn. I’m 60, I’ve just opened a chocolate school and B&B and funnily enough, I am a finalist in the Emerging Business category in the Berrigan Shire Business Awards. How about that, 60 and I’m emerging,” Wendy laughed.
There is a separate chocolate lab that is climate-controlled, allowing Wendy to work all-year-round.
Wendy’s classes are proving popular with visitors and she is now up for a Berrigan Shire Business Award.
Wendy and husband Martin made a tree change from Melbourne to Tocumwal a few years back.
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