After 25 years of creating premium quality chocolates, Jilli Cross is retiring Chocodence.
From humble beginnings supplying her handmade truffles at a local cafe in Metung more than two decades ago, her business grew to supplying cafes and restaurants in Melbourne, Tasmania and all around Victoria.
The Chocodence range of traditional handmade truffles all consisted of premium quality Swiss coverture chocolate and fresh cream.
From there, depending on the flavour being created, all natural of pure flavours were used, along with actual liqueurs.
As Chocodence went further afield, so did Jilli’s search and discovery for more premium quality ingredients to use in her chocolate.
After seeking out Gippsland hazelnuts, almonds and delicious dried muscatels, figs and apricots from Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, Jilli added her gourmet rocky road and fruit and nut range.
With the introduction of the first registered famers market in Victoria, Jilli was invited to attend a seminar about the advantages of farmers markets and the ability to deal direct from the producer to the customer.
Jilli loved this idea.
So come rain or shine, Jilli headed off to the first registered regional farmers market in Koonwarra, South Gippsland, in the early 2000s.
It was a big success and Jilli loved the idea of chatting with the customers about her products and samples as well as meeting other producers and growers.
Jilli and her husband, Geoff, attended the market once every month (apart from the hotter months, which were too risky for chocolate and fresh cream truffles).
The regional farmers market was then introduced to Bairnsdale, which made for a much easier journey in the early hours of the morning.
Then the regional farmers market was suggested to come to Metung.
So of course Jilli and Geoff did their best in helping out and making sure that it came about.
They then attended every Metung farmers market they could, from the first one until 2022.
For Jilli, the highlight from the past 25 years would have in be in 2010 when she and Geoff had an invitation by her Swiss chocolate manufacturer to attend an all expenses paid condirama in Switzerland which was a great opportunity to pick up different ideas and techniques.
Unfortunately, due to the continual rising costs for ingredients, insurance and freight, Jilli has found it difficult to continue without raising her costs, which she finds uncomfortable to do.
To add to her own increasing age to the mix and the meticulous technique required for the past 25 years, the process is starting to take a toll on her.
This has added up to make the hard decision to call it a day for Chocodence.
“I would like to say a big thank you to all the cafes and restaurants that have displayed and sold Chocodence products over the past 25 years, and the incredibly loyal customers,” Jilli said.
“I will really miss that.
“Thank you all very much, it has been a wonderful 25 year journey.”
