Chocs away for new Guinness World Record
13 Sep 2010
Ashburton - a rural town in Canterbury - became an international chocolate capital this weekend as two Kiwi chocolatiers set about creating a new Guinness World Record for the longest chocolate bar.
The record-breaking 14.58-metre dark chocolate bar, made from 49.5% cocoa, took 24 hours to make - and easily broke the previous world record set in Italy of 11.57m.
The successful attempt was the work of local chocolatiers Bex Carr and Nadine Porter, of Bullrush Handmade Chocolates.
Nadine Porter told a national Sunday newspaper that hundreds of people stopped outside her store to witness the chocolate-making.
Bullrush Handmade Chocolates plans to auction off some of the chocolate bar this week, with proceeds going to victims of last week’s 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Christchurch.
Fine chocolate effort
Official representatives from Guinness monitored the world record attempt in Ashburton. Six chocolatiers crafted the chocolate bar, using stainless steel moulds made by local agricultural engineering firm Lusk Engineering.
The chocolatiers began by making 2.8kg chocolate slabs that were eventually joined together to form the bar. A chocolate fair featuring Kiwi celebrity chef Richard Till was also held on the same day.
The 14.58-metre dark chocolate bar has a retail value of over NZ$6000. Bullrush owners Carr and Porter said they wanted to show the Europeans that New Zealand is just as good at making quality chocolate.
To that end, the world-record-breaking bar was made using high quality couverture chocolate - which contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than usual, giving the chocolate more shine and a creamy, mellow flavour.
"New Zealanders love their chocolate and what better way to celebrate than by making the longest bar ever," said Carr.
Quirky Kiwi flavours
Boutique chocolate makers have sprung up all over New Zealand during the past decade, and Kiwi chocolatiers have become known for their innovative approach, often coming up with unusual blends that are popular with both Kiwis and overseas visitors.
Bullrush Handmade Chocolates is renowned for quirky chocolates featuring exotic taste sensations such as rhubarb and kumara, and raspberry wasabi bitter chocolate.
Not too far from Ashburton, She Chocolaterie - just outside Christchurch - is a one-stop chocolate heaven with a shop, restaurant and an intensive three-day chocolate school. A day after the Christchurch earthquake, the chocolaterie was back in business selling handcrafted chocolates and truffles.
Schoc Chocolate, in the Wairarapa, is famous for its ‘chocolate therapy’ - where customers can choose different flavours to suit individual personalities. The original Schoc Chocolate shop is housed in a tiny, turn-of-the-century cottage in Greytown and the store specialises in gourmet, handmade chocolate, with flavours ranging from chilli and lime to sea salt and pink peppercorn.
Background: Bullrush Chocolates
Bullrush Handmade Chocolates, Ashburton, is named after a fast-paced Kiwi children’s game. Owners Bex Carr and Nadine Porter, who are both young mothers, began their business from home 18 months ago.
The chocolates are manufactured in heartland Canterbury, and come in many exotic flavours such as grapefruit and feijoa, sweet milk chocolate and strawberry truffle mousse.
Bullrush Chocolates is located at 208 Burnett St, Ashburton.
More information
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