You never know what you are going to get. That is especially true when it comes to chocolate factories. If you grew up watching Willy Wonka as we did, every chocolate factory is a bit of a let down. We have visited a few chocolate factories over the years, from the enormous Cadbury factory in Tasmania to the boutique tin sheds of Margaret River Western Australia. Our most recent discovery is the creatively named Phillip Island Chocolate Factory. The chocolate goes under the name Pannys. We are not exactly sure who Panny is, we assume he is the man in the photograph on the door with the beaming smile and the words, “Panny Welcomes You”, written above his head. If this is in fact Panny, he certainly looks very happy and why wouldn’t he be. He has probably dreamed of owning a chocolate factory since he was a child.

Let’s be honest, if you see a chocolate factory with a sign that says “free samples”, of course you are going to go in and have a look. As you enter you search for the free samples, you look for the clear plastic trays with “please try some” sticky taped to the lids, but alas they are nowhere to be seen. Thoughts of false advertising and the associated righteous indignation well up inside and just as I am about to call A Current Affair to report Pannys pernicious pretense, a friendly young woman drops a chocolate button in my hand. It’s true there really are free samples! I should have known they would hand them out as if they were awarding medals at a little athletics carnival. They have to do it that way or people would go crazy and fill their pockets, bags, ipod socks or whatever else they have with the delicious Belgian buttons.

As we gazed through the window in the chocolate mixing room, we watched in awe as we saw a frozen banana on a stick dipped in hot runny chocolate, twirled until it had cooled and handed to a wide eyed child who immediately bit the top off and said, “yum” so many times and with such conviction that we just had to have some. Four, in fact - one white, two milk and one dark. Total cost $12 that’s $3 each and much better value than an ice-cream. We have had frozen bananas coated in chocolate before, but these were the best we have ever had. Panny says, “We use only Belgian chocolate, the best available. It’s creamy texture and slight hint of vanillin is exceptionally mouth watering.” They aren’t exaggerating, this was the most delicious chocolate we have had in ages.

We bought three blocks home with us, a White Macadamia, White Hazelnut, Milk Macadamia. Each block was $3.50 - very reasonable considering the quality and the fact that they really are hand made! You can press your face against the glass and dribble as you watch them being made. And even though there were no Ompa Lompas, we loved it so much we think it’s worth a drive to Phillip Island just for the chocolate bananas alone.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
10.30am - 5.00pm
Factory viewing Monday - Sunday
FREE ADMISSION!

930 Phillip Island Rd, Newhaven
Phillip Island Vic 3925