Grow Us - Grow Our Impact

Yiradhu marang, that's g'day in the Wiradjuri Language.

I’m Fiona, a proud Wiradjuri woman and artisan chocolatier, living and operating my business Chocolate On Purpose™ on Wiradjuri country in Millthorpe NSW.

My business has evolved from my passion for both the healing power of Australian native botanicals (which are our food & medicine), and my wish to share our First Nation peoples' traditional use of these botanicals to deepen respect for our ancient wisdom and culture.

It began with my experiencing Complex Post Traumatic Stress disorder after an armed holdup/hostage situation. Early one morning I woke mid-panic attack and added my newly discovered essential oils into water and splashed my face…. I felt 20% calmer. So I ran the bath and soaked with the oils, and the panic attack subsided, allowing me to get myself & kids ready for the day ahead. I never had another panic attack.

I was intrigued a botanical essence could be a healer and wanted to learn more, so I studied Aromatic Therapy and that's where I met my good friend Jo, who helps me in my business. We began investigating ways to deliver botanical essences in a more way other than massage. We tried Aromatic cooking classes but not our thing.

Then I bought Jo a chocolate making class for her birthday. While making a Black Pepper Chocolate, I looked at Jo and exclaimed, 'Black Pepper... that's an essential oil, maybe chocolate's how we'll do it!' We excitedly brainstormed ideas and bounced around names of the Amazonian superfoods we could use.

Suddenly I exclaimed, 'hang on...my ancestors have been using Bush Food (Australian native botanicals) for over 60,000 years and that's what we'll use!' You know that feeling you get when something feels right... deep in your body? Well that's how it felt for me. I'm sure my Ancestors spoke to me that day because that’s how the business idea came about, that's how our chocolate range came to be named 'Bush Food Chocolate™' and it's when we realised our Vision, to share Culture through storytelling with chocolate.

Fast forward through professional Chocolatier & Patisserie training, years of market research & flavour development and here we are today! A mission driven, purpose driven business with the motto, “Yindyamangidyal Marramarra – With Respect and Honour we Create” which is the beating heart of our business.

Chocolate On Purpose™ creates delicious chocolate experiences infused with ancient wisdom and a mission. Through storytelling with our chocolate we:-

Share Indigenous culture and deepen respect for our ancient wisdom

Shine a light on the way forward in the reconciliation journey towards justice and healing

Support sustainability and equtiy in Australian native botanical and cacao farming communities

Contribute to reducing palm oil deforestation to address global warming, Indigenous community displacement and the threat to vulnerable animals

Minimise our carbon footprint by purchasing Aboriginal Carbon Fund credits, empowering Indigenous communities to self determination

Excite the growing market of conscious consumers, who want to make a difference in the world through their buying choices

And our voices are being heard by lovers of fine chocolate, who want their enjoyment of chocolate to make a difference in the world, because demand for our chocolate is growing!

Our solutions create impact…

• For every extra production run increased automation can provide, we can increase our buy from Indigenous farmers by 10 kilos, contributing to their increased participation in the Australian native food and botanical supply chain.

• In 2021, our purchase of ethically sourced chocolate contributed to eradicating 25,000 cases of forced child
  labour; increasing women’s empowerment by training
  38% more to become cacao farmers and
  raising 122,000 cacao farmers above the
  poverty line.

• Today, by choosing not to use palm oil we helped prevent 300 football fields of forest being burnt to make way for planting of palm trees; prevented 174 tonnes of CO2 releasing into the atmosphere and
• This past hour we saved the lives of 16 orangutans.

We're at the stage where we can't work any harder to make enough chocolate to keep up with demand. We need to work smarter! Serious production automation is needed to increase productivity by leveraging our efforts to output more chocolate and take advantage of price breaks with our Suppliers.

This machine is possible with your investment of $10,000

AND with your further support we can create even greater growth with this machine, thanks to your investment of $30,000!

Your support to assist us to buy this automation will grow production, which will grow our impact and ability to-

• share Culture with a greater audience through the increase in visitors to our community
• increase our contribution to the circular economy in our own community, by attracting tourists to share in our chocolate making. They will in turn, spend in other local businesses
• increase our purchase of native ingredients, which will help Indigenous Farmers to increase their participation in the Australian native food & botanical supply chain
• grow our use of sustainably grown cacao beans will contribute to addressing the eradication of forced labour in cacao farms
• amplify our voice against palm oil deforestation, stopping the displacement of Indigenous communities, reducing global warming and saving threatened species.
• locate and move into a dedicated Commercial Kitchen space to accommodate growth in our production
• enable our employment of our first Indigenous staff member!

Rewards

I would feel much Yindyamarra (Wiradjuri for gratitude) if you would assist me to reach my Goals, and I’ve put together some rewards to thank you for your kind investment.

An Appreciation Listing on a special page of my website….

'Rockabilly Fun' Gift Bag....

‘Caribbean Delight’ Gift Box…

Chocolicious Impact Reward (Annual Subscription)Meet the Chocolatier Online…

'Barkalicious' Chocolate Bark Making Online...

Walking On Country" Chocolate Bars

Meet the Chocolatier ‘On Country’ plus a Millthorpe Museum ‘Behind the Scenes’ Tour

‘Welcome to Country’ and ‘Paint Your Dreaming’ Experience with a Wiradjuri Elder…

Corporate ‘Naming’ rights for Gifting Pack…

‘Escape to the Country’ Weekend Getaway

Automated production will Grow our Capacity to support Community,
Indigenous Farmers, Sustainable Palm Oil Farming, Cacao Farmers &
Carbon Reduction.

You can walk with us on our mission. Come on board and support us.

https://youtu.be/4QWY0G1ELyQ

We can do Greater things Together!

Mandaang Guwu, the Wiradjuri Language for Thank You!