About Bella Chocolates

Bella Chocolates is 100% New Zealand family owned business operating since 1994.

Our passion is chocolate and we use only premium gourmet Callebaut chocolate and the finest ingredients sourced from within New Zealand and around the world.

Chocolates are made to order with care and attention in small batches to ensure maximum freshness, taste & enjoyment. Subsequently we do not hold large stocks of chocolates.  Our normal operating schedule is to work with milk chocolate one week and then switch to dark chocolate the following week and then back to milk chocolate and so on.  This operating schedule means that we only make the chocolates as needed so they are always fresh.

Our range of chocolates extends from handcrafted gourmet truffles to hand moulded classic European style chocolates.

We enjoy creating new flavours, both traditional and the unusual, and our range of fillings include fresh cream flavour infusions and ganaches, pralines, butter truffles and fondant cremes. Our delicious caramel and fresh cream ganaches are among our own unique recipes.

 

Shopping Online

The individual chocolates shown in the shop are the chocolates used in our boxed selections which are available to purchase online. Although individual chocolates may not be purchased, should you have a special request or requirement (for example: soft fillings only), this may be accommodated by entering details in the comments field during the checkout process. A message for the recipient may also be entered in this comments field to be included on the chocolate menu card sent with the box of chocolates.

 

About Chocolate

Over recent years lobbying by the larger chocolate manufacturers has bought about changes in food regulations around the world which allow percentages of vegetable fats, such as palm oil, to be added to chocolate whilst still allowing the product to be categorized and sold as chocolate. At Bella Chocolates, all the chocolate we use is made with cocoa butter. There are NO added vegetable fats 

 

Gluten Free

All our chocolate - dark, milk and white,  is gluten free. 

However the glucose syrup used in the manufacture of fondant used in some of our fillings may be derived from wheat. Although the gluten has been extracted, there could still be trace elements of gluten.  

 

Chocolate Sustainability & Ethics

Our chocolate is sourced from Barry-Callebaut who are working towards a totally sustainable and ethical chocolate through their "Forever Chocolate" programme.  For further details on the "Forever Chocolate" programme please log on to  www.barry-callebaut.com

 

Storing Chocolate

We recommend that chocolates be kept in a cool area preferably at a temperature of between 18 to 20 degrees celsius. Chocolates should also be kept away from direct sunlight and strong odours.