About Us

I've always had a sweet tooth, especially for chocolate... I know lots of people say that, but here's some pretty conclusive proof of me at 10 years old with ALL the lollies next to my long-suffering brother with none!  

Kate as a 10-year-old holding bags of lollies and a box of chocolate.

My husband Scott and I started following a plant-based diet in 2020 and struggled to find great tasting plant-based milk chocolate, so we started Wonderland Chocolate.

After a 20-year career in marketing, half in foods, I'm loving the craft of chocolate making and believe that everyone should be able to enjoy yummy milk chocolate treats that are delicious, fun and plant-based.

Kate


Our Chocolate

We make our delicious bean-to-bar chocolate in a small factory in Lyall Bay, Wellington. 

It starts as organic cacao beans, grown in a biodiverse environment by 67 registered farmers, 20% of whom are female.  We buy the beans from a certified B Corp, Uncommon Cacao, who are "passionate pioneers of a new, values-driven cacao economy that is grounded in real partnerships delivering improved stability and success for all".  That basically means the farmers receive a greater share of the value, which is important to us.  For more information, please visit their website at www.uncommoncacao.com.

We then hand select the best of these beans, roast them until they smell like brownies, remove and separate the husks and refine them into a smooth, creamy cashew milk chocolate.  Because good things are worth waiting for, this process takes about three days.

The chocolate needs a little rest before being tempered, mixed with goodies, moulded into chocolate bars and hand packaged.

We hope you enjoy!

 

Why Wonderland?

In the early 1900’s, a thrilling amusement park was operating at the end of the road from where we started making our chocolate.  It was known as the Wonderland Adventure Park and opened with the goal of turning Miramar into the mecca of merry makers with its haunted castle, thrilling rides and fireworks displays. We thought this was pretty inspiring for a fun chocolate brand.

“Be jocund while you may, for you will be dead some considerable time.  This is the gospel of Wonderland, which opened its palace of pleasures yesterday.”
The Dominion (November 1907).

 

The park closed for good in mid-1912 and today the site is largely occupied by housing and Weta Studios.