Australian Enterprise Awards 2021

20 APAC / Australian Enterprise Awards 2021 , Over the years Chocolate Works have developed its in- house processes to a fine art, to the point where the firm can create a chocolate in virtually any shape, size, and design. To start, Graeme provides a brief overview of the firm and offers more insight into its clientele. “Since inception, we have been providing unique chocolate products to the corporate, promotional, special occasion, retail and hospitality sectors. From small businesses and personal events right through to major corporations and national events, we have every base covered. Naturally, our aim is to push our development of bespoke chocolates to ensure we provide cutting-edge products to our clients.” Across Australia the firm are in direct competition with several chocolate product suppliers, however as Graeme goes on to explain, Most Innovative Custom Chocolate Product Supplier 2021 Founded in 1999, ChocolateWorks is Australia’s leading supplier of customised chocolate products. Having recently been recognised in APAC Insider’s Australian Enterprise Awards 2021, we got in touchwith Graeme Bulluss to find out more about the sweet success the team at ChocolateWorks have had throughout the years. Jan21273 ChocolateWorks Company: Chocolate Works Name: Graeme Bulluss Website: www.chocolateworks.com.au a commitment to research and development has enabled the team to distance itself from others in the arena. “Chocolate Works have always ventured into areas where others are not willing to go. For example, we were the first chocolate maker to print custom images onto smarties and chocolate beans. In addition, we introduced the Great Aussie Waffle Log to great fanfare as a replacement for the old Polly Waffle Bar. Essentially, by continually researching and developing new products we are able to update our chocolate range.” Rather than focusing on the hard skills of an individual, the firm believe the personal qualities of a candidate are far more important when it comes to recruitment. “Here at Chocolate Works, we have a very stable workforce which we often support through internal training” Graeme highlights. “Moreover, people are typically hired based on their personality and how well they will fit in with the team. Ultimately, hard skills can be taught but the inherent soft skills and in-built nature of a person cannot. Once new staff members settle in to the company, we ensure they are fully up to date with the latest processes and methods to ensure our customers are provided with the best possible outcomes.” Despite the outbreak of COVID-19, the firm managed to overcome the initial difficulties to ensure it could still operate during these challenging times as Graeme points out. “Recently, we have moved from a corporate/promotional centric base to heavily invest in retail products. Naturally, this has allowed us to extend into new markets and weather the COVID19 storm while attracting other arms to our business.” Looking ahead to what the future holds, Graeme reveals some of the exciting plans the team at Chocolate Works have in store for both 2021 and beyond. “Moving forward, we will continue to develop new products and explore new markets. There are a number of new products that can be invented and there are unlimited opportunities to re-invent products that have been ceased by other manufacturers.”