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Havenhand Chocolates: Ron tests the taste buds in the Riverland region of South Australia

Some of our best exports have come from Waikerie, the Riverland town two hour's drive northeast of Adelaide. Waikerie citrus and stone fruit is known throughout Australia and so too is one of its favourite sons, former Crows champion, Mark Riciutto.

A good screw punt from the Oval where he honed his skills, Roo's mum, Carolyn Ricciuto, gets to work packaging another Waikerie export - Havenhand Chocolates.

Carolyn Ricciuto, 'Havenhand Chocolates': "Does he like the chocolates? Yes, he makes out he doesn't but he does."

And who wouldn't when you can see the process unfold before your very eyes in a setting which certainly takes some beating. As Carolyn Ricciuto and Janet Grosse work their magic, Waikerie locals and visitors alike sip the occasional coffee and take in the view from what was once the local kindergarten.

From Havenhand's showroom you can take a sneak peak into the day-to-day operations of an award winning family business as Janet Grosse makes her handcrafted goodies and fellow worker Carolyn packs a confection of Riverland magic containing minced apricot and almond. And all of it's covered in mouth-watering chocolate.

It's a painstaking process in which various chocolate mixtures of varying temperature are blended on this marble slab. Janet freely admits one of the hazards of chocolate making can be a tendency to want to eat the profits especially when it looks as good as this.

Both Janet and husband Dean Grosse are typical small business operators. When not tempering chocolate or dipping apricot mix into great swirls of the stuff, they're out on the deck serving customers lunch or finalising orders in the showroom. The business has certainly come a long way from when we first caught up with this hard working Riverland couple a decade ago. Back then their nearby Ramco shed was home to what was called Country Cousine and both thought a change of venue and name were called for.

Dean Grosse, 'Havenhand Chocolates': "Our name is Janet and Dean Grosse and we struggled to find anyone who wanted to buy Grosse Chocolates so we needed a different name!"

Havenhand is Janet's mother's maiden name and it seemed to fit perfectly with the concept of handmade chocolates. However, the Grosse story and the history of a family with strong Riverland connections is certainly celebrated in everything that this couple does.

The story of the Grosse family in the Riverland goes back to 1919 when Jim Grosse returned from Gallipoli and the battlefields of France with his young English bride to take up a soldier settler's block at Glossop. Jim specialised in dried fruit production and became a pioneer producer of sultanas.

Dean's grandfather, Jim Grosse has pride of place in all of Havenhand's marketing material. Dean like his grandfather and his father, worked as a blockie for many years until cheap imports and a few bad years forced him off the land. But like many a resilient Riverlander he's bounced back big time. And while he's no longer growing Riverland fruit he certainly uses it in all his products with obvious pride.

"We use apricots, oranges, peaches, pears, sultanas, raisins, figs and they're all Riverland products. It's all great produce - the best in the world."

That unique blend of Riverland produce and thick creamy chocolate is on sale at their showroom and café on the riverfront at Waikerie. Havenhand Chocolates are also sold at Bracegirdle Chocolates on Jetty Road Glenelg and at Burnside Village. If you have any further questios please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Havenhand Chocolates
Peak Terrace
Waikerie

Published 22nd August 2010