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Hand-made confectionery boom: sugary treats are on a high

Australian tastes are becoming more highbrow in the all important realm of sweets.

Bhakthi Puvanenthiran

One of the by-products of increasing health consciousness amongst Australians is the confectionery industry.

While the big players are shifting to produce dark chocolate offerings for its health benefits, smaller outfits are finding success singing their own tune, and re-inventing the notion of a treat.

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Pana Barbounis, founder of Melbourne's Pana Chocolate, has found mainstream success since he founded his raw, vegan, organic chocolate company in 2012.

Most recently Mr Barbounis has signed on Myer as a partner, with counter displays primarily in the womenswear section.

Despite this, the product is still hand-made.

"As a result of the increased product availability throughout 2016, sales have increased over 20 per cent from last year, and we anticipate an over 25 per cent increase in sales of seasonal gift packs in the lead-up to Christmas."

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The Myer contract comes after Pana signed on as Etihad Stadium's exclusive chocolate contractor.

Mr Barbounis claims it is the first time in the world a sports stadium has officially stocked a raw vegan organic chocolate.

"Our knowledge of food and how it can nourish us is constantly evolving, so our view of healthy eating will evolve," he said. 

The story of Pana Chocolate, which now turns over $5 million annually, is one born of a health conscious social-media age.

The timing of the company's founding was at the very least fortuitous. 

A major scientific study in 2012 found that cocoa compounds, which had been on the radar of nutritionists for a decade, could be beneficial for heart health.

But Mr Barbounis' interest was not merely a scientific one.

"I grew up in a migrant family in the western suburbs of Melbourne and started working in hospitality at a young age," he said.

The vegan entrepreneur was introduced to raw chocolate through a friend, and travelled to Europe to learn the processes from traditional chocolate masters. 

While he began as a solo operation, doing deliveries by scooter, Mr Barbounis now employs  more than 100 staff, putting him well in the medium business category. 

The company grew initially from 10 stockists to now having two flagship stores in Melbourne and Sydney, and delivering internationally.  

"As for the recipes, they're still created and kept secret by  myself and my sister Maria, who is now head chocolate maker at Pana Chocolate," he said.

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