My story

Hi, I'm Alison and I'm the owner and founder of Love Byron Bay Boutique Chocolate. I'm based in the beautiful coastal town of Byron Bay, which is Australia's Eastern-most point. This area is renowned for its laid back vibe, amazing produce and stunning beaches. 

It was only natural that my life-long love of chocolate would one day expand into owning a chocolate boutique, and what better place to do it, than in the area I love the most - the far north coast of NSW; perfect weather year-round, regular visitors from far and wide, and discerning palate's - I knew that my dream could be played out in this magical place.

My love of chocolate has evolved over the years. Originally it was because chocolate tastes so good! BUT as I studied and researched and embraced what I might have once thought of as a "weakness" I found that chocolate is actually incredibly good for you, so I realise my weakness is now my strength!

Chocolate combines mastery and magic in the making of it. It has an intriguing and full history which relates back to being the 'food of the gods' AND chocolate provides amazing all-over-body pleasure when it melts in your mouth. Those are my top three reasons for loving chocolate!

I started my chocolate boutique so I could meet Jonny Depp, ha ha… OK, all jokes aside (kidding, not kidding 😜) in reality, my background in business, retailing and marketing had taken me from national retailers, to large multinationals, to small businesses and then to my own businesses which all focussed on niche markets and valuable products (as I see them).

My first business in Sydney, Thirst for Life, was a specialty bottled water shop with our boutique in Paddington. After selling the business in 2000, I ventured north to Byron and found myself running my own business consultancy after which, I then headed up a local macadamia company who worked with chocolate panning. This was my introduction to the BUSINESS of chocolate. I quickly learned that the world of macadamias and chocolate were similar to the world of water, meaning that the further one explores the more complex and valuable things are revealed and become.

To make it simple… oils ain’t oils, neither is water nor chocolate when you delve deeper. After my time at the macadamia company, I identified that there was a need for a chocolate boutique in Byron Bay, one that was about quality and educated lovers of chocolate encouraging them to be self professed chocoholics and proud of it. The online store was just a natural progression, because all the thousands of visitors who visit my boutique each month, so many want to still buy it when they get home, so my team and I ship quality chocolate all over Australia - we love delivering happiness directly to your door!

The longer I’m in the chocolate world and further developing my appreciation of artisan chocolate, the darker chocolate is my preference. At the moment I’m loving a new Swiss chocolate range named Chocolat Stello (only available in store at the moment). There are a number of flavours I’ve gone ‘WOW’ to upon first bite, the Noir 60% Baobab Fruit and Noir 72% Indian dark cacao. this range is vegan, Fair Trade and Organic and tastes superb. My other all-time favourites made from our own national Australian chocolatiers include Cuvee and their wine pairing chocolate, where the darker the chocolate the bigger the grape variety of your choice of wine you can enjoy it with. Two other favourites include anything from Kokopod (in particular their Smoky Black 72% with smoked sea salt) and Monsieur Truffe (in particular their Hazelnut Gianduja). When I’m wanting to scoff some chocolate though I always reach for our own Love Byron Bay 37% Milk chocolate that we use to make up our famous Rocky Roads, Hot Chocolates and Crepes. I will stop there, but I could go on and on.

If I wasn't living and loving in Byron Bay, sharing my love of chocolate and crepes with you all, I’d be travelling the world, dancing. I’ve always loved movement as my first form of expression. No words are needed, just let the feelings flow through your body as the music takes you over. For the last few years I have ventured into Tango, the dance of Love. Seems to be a consistent theme running here as both Tango and chocolate are about love. Before Tango, I’ve been dancing and performing African to the rhythms of the drum. A very symbiotic relationship between the drummer and dancers, they go together like dark chocolate and burnt caramel.

I'm often asked the question, "what is it about chocolate that's magical for you?" and my answer is always the same; It's the endorphins that make your feel like you’re in love, that’s sensational. There are also a couple of processes involved in the making of chocolate that are magical; fermentation and tempering.

Thanks for stopping by, enjoying what we offer, and loving chocolate as much as I do. I feel eternally blessed that here I am combining two of my greatest passions in my life simultaneously; chocolate, Byron Bay and tango. Funny where the dance of love takes you. ♥️♥️♥️