Chocolate factory gives tourists taste of Namibia

WHEN Mandie Ellis decided to open her own chocolate factory at Walvis Bay early this year, she wanted a distinct taste that is unique to Namibia for tourists to remember the country by.

Although the name of her Belgian Choclatique factory can be misleading, Ellis said she tries to incorporate unique local ingredients, such as ‘eembe’ liquor, or other locally made liqueurs, into her sweet treats.

Not only did she have a unique taste in mind, but she also wanted some of her chocolates to have an “African design”.

Just recently, the Chinese embassy commissioned an order of chocolates branded with the Big 5 – lion, buffalo, leopard, rhinoceros and elephant– as well as a number of other Namibian-branded chocolates to introduce them in China.

“As a creative person and having a passion for spreading love and hap- piness, I decided, what better way to do it than through chocolate?” Ellis beamed during an interview with at her small factory at Walvis Bay’s Moses Garoeb Street.

With a team of seven employees, she said since opening the factory in May, they have not been short of customers from all over the country, including hotels, guest houses and other holiday accommodation establishments.

When visited the factory, its employees were in full production, making use of state-of-the-art machines for melting and tempering the chocolates. Ellis said starting a chocolate factory has always been her dream.

She spent most of her career working in administration-related fields, until the creative bug, in the form of chocolate, bit her.

“I was always in an administrative position in the business field, but longed to live out my creativity, and surprisingly, I stumbled across a chocolate business that closed down. This inspired me to ensure that this precious product will not disappear,” she said.

Ellis recalls that embarking on this venture was a blessing in disguise for her, as she is now walking the path that she believes she was meant to be on.

The factory, with its vintage look and cosy atmosphere, harks back to the romantic era of 1857, the year Belgian chocolate was first produced and available exclusively to wealthy aristocrats.

Today, the factory sells a variety of chocolate products that are made from pure, high-quality Belgian chocolate.

The chocolate is acquired from a supplier in South Africa in 5kg slabs that are made of cocoa, sugar and milk solids. It is then remelted, and either combined with Namibian products, such as Namibian-made liquor, moulded into unique designs, or branded with unique African prints that both tourists and Namibians can enjoy.

International visitors are welcomed to their holiday destination with custom-made chocolates on their pillows at various holiday accommodation establishments.

Their range includes the popular Nutella crème brûlée, honey and hazelnut truffles, Strawberry Lips truffles, Cappuccino Heart, Chai Latté cups, Praline crisp, cinnamon cups, and liquor truffles like tequila, Jägermeister, caramel vodka and rum and hot chocolate sticks. The factory caters for both children and adults, and even has a range suitable for diabetics.

These handcrafted chocolates are meticulously packed by hand, and couriered countrywide. Some of the chocolates are available in selected shops in Windhoek, such as Wecke & Voigts, Maerua Super Spar and Grove Mall Super Spar.

The factory is also fast gaining traction within Namibia itself, with designs like life-sized high-heel shoes, babies, musical instruments, champagne bottles, medals and cigars proving popular with the public, as are the chocolate slabs branded with personalised pictures, logos and messages.

“We are proud to announce that we now have an all-Namibian range, as we include Namibian-made products in our truffles. One of these products is eembe, an interesting nutty flavoured liquor produced by Erongo Mountain Winery at Omaruru, and the Desolate Gin from the Copper and Coal Distillery at Walvis Bay. We are always on the lookout for other Namibian products such as date brandy, gin and wines, to create a uniquely Namibian chocolate market. “We like to present a product made in Namibia, by Namibian people, to our clients,” said Ellis.

Two of Ellis’ customers said they normally order her chocolates for parties and birthday events.

“They [the factory] do personalised hampers, which are perfect for birthdays. Also, Mandie does personal tours and presentations in her factory, which is also perfect for schools or party activities,” said Jana Grunschloss.

Another customer, Julia Lizela Shihepo, said she enjoys the unique Namibian taste.

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