If you happen to detect a waft of chocolate walking through Arncliffe, you might be surprised to find a roaster busily sifting through thousands of beans.
Dan Nutton is the Head Roster at Single O, and his latest creation is making 'bean-to-bar' chocolate through the launch of his venture, Silver Street, a brand of small-batch, single origin chocolate.
Bean-to-bar chocolate refers to small-scale craft chocolate makers controlling every step of the process, from sourcing cacao beans, to roasting the chocolate bar, without the addition of stabilisers and additives.
Mr Nutton has been a coffee roaster for about 15 years. He and his partner moved from the UK and it was during one of the COVID-19 lockdowns when the business idea launched.
"I grew up in West Yorkshire and in the town we had a huge Nestle factory. The whole area I grew up in smelt like caramel."
Silver Street Chocolate joins the ranks of only 37 bean-to-bar companies operating in Australia. "It's a really small industry in Australia," Mr Nutton said.
Well-versed in the world of single origin through almost a decade roasting single origin coffee for Single O, now through his Silver Street venture, the roaster crafts his range of four single origin chocolates, including Uganda 68 per cent dark, Belize 72 per dent dark, Dominican Republic 53 per cent milk, and Peru 35 per cent blonde.
To celebrate, Mr Nutton's launch of Silver Street, Single O, have a limited-edition bundle featuring Single O's Kenya Kambingara coffee beans and Silver Street's Uganda 68 per cent dark chocolate, retailing for $30.
"The similarities between specialty coffee and specialty chocolate are rooted in deep passion and meticulous craftsmanship," he said. "Both begin with selecting the finest raw materials and delicately coaxing out their unique flavors. It's a rigorous process that celebrates nature's essence, whether in a cup of perfectly brewed coffee or a square of rich, handcrafted chocolate."
Kenya Kambingara coffee stems from the esteemed Karithathi Farmers Cooperative, grown at an altitude of 1500 metres.
This single origin gem unveils flavors that dance between lemony zest and cherry sweetness. Silver Street's Dark Chocolate, originating from the Semuliki Forest in Uganda, comprises 68 per cent cocoa, its flavour profile offering distinctive notes of fig, raisin, and black grape.
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