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Chocolate and the Straw Bale House
By Catherine Tinsley
 “They serve you hot chocolate in a toilet bowl.” My cousin
tells me. “What?” I ask with a look of disbelief. “No, really, they do. It’s
called the ultimate hot chocolate, but the cup they serve it in looks like a
toilet bowl.” She says with a wink. My family of four is visiting her family of
four in Victoria, Australia and her husband has just taken us to Mt. Franklin,
Victoria, just outside the local holiday destination of Daylesford. It’s
considered spa country with small boutique hotels, shops, restaurants and a
lake. We are about an hour and half from the city of Melbourne.
Nestled in the woods and surrounded by tranquility sits a
non-descript building made of bales of straw. Built by the owners Jennifer
Gregory and Chris Weippert it was a labor of love and learning. Starting in
2001 with planning and preparation the straw bale house was completed and
occupied by Jennifer and Chris in 2003. Working full time on the house, with
part time help from Jennifer, Chris learned quite a bit about building a house
out of straw.
 As I walk toward the two story modern house its
characteristics catch my eye. The rough exterior and the pale yellow color make
me laugh. It is truly made of straw. Wanting to build something earth
friendly, the owners of the Chocolate Mill have created a structure that not
only provides them with a home, but also a thriving business. I have never seen
a house like this before and to find it’s a chocolate shop made it that more
intriguing. A little path with stones and water leads to the front door of
Chris and Jennifer’s Chocolate Mill with a sign outside that reads: “For the
Serious Chocoholic.” Enter through the heavy wooden double doors into an oasis
of chocolate bliss. A chocoholics dream. I’m taken aback by the aroma of the
chocolate and the four children are giddy at the sight of it all. The sales
floor is small in size but not character having two round tables with chairs to
enjoy the Belgium chocolate delights. Handmade on the premises, Chris and
Jennifer use the professional’s choice of Callebaut couverture chocolate. A
Belgium company, Callebaut is the leading manufacturer of cocoa and chocolate
with over 120 years experience. This is what makes the chocolate at the
Chocolate Mill truly magical. Couverture chocolate requires tempering, but
melts smoothly, finishes glossy and produces a thinner shell than other
chocolates.
The chocolate display case in the center of the room
features some of the most decadent truffles, bon bons and petit four to entice
even the most distinguished chocolate lover. Adjacent to the display case and
situated in a corner, is a clear glass viewing window that allows guests and
chocoholics alike to peer into the workings of a chocolate mill. Behind the
glass are women dressed in white working their magic to create what will be a
melt in your mouth delicacy. The sign above the window says it all: “Please do
not lick the glass.”
Beyond the selling room is a covered enclosed patio known
as the Hot Chocolate Café. We visited in wintertime and were pleased to find the
patio sheltering us from the outside cold. Long wooden picnic type tables
welcome you to sit and enjoy The Chocolate Mill’s famous offering “The Ultimate
Hot Chocolate.” With a full range of chocolate choices from milk to extra dark
and even soy, guests can savor the best the Chocolate Mill has to offer in a
cup.
I tell my daughter that I heard they serve it in a toilet
shaped bowl. She and I were expecting a literal toilet. What we received was a
slight V-shaped white ceramic cup with thin edges. “This isn’t a toilet bowl.”
I announce to my cousin already sitting at one of the tables, my forehead and
lips crinkled in mock disapproval. It’s actually a very modern shaped cup with
a saucer. It is, however, the largest cup of hot chocolate I have ever seen.
Rich in flavor the dark hot chocolate I chose was self indulging without an
overbearing sweetness. The smell and flavor better than any I have ever
tasted. When finished, you are met with an undercoat of chocolate at the bottom
half of the white ceramic cup. It is too thin to spoon the rest out. It would
be improper to use one’s finger. I guess it would be even worse to just lick it
out of the bottom of the cup.
Housing the Chocolate Mill on the first floor, Chris and
Jennifer’s home occupies the second floor. With smooth contemporary lines and
varnished wood floors it is a cozy respite from the workings of their chocolate
enterprise. Active in their community, Chris and Jennifer have contributed to
several local non-profit organizations. And, in 2004 the Chocolate Mill was
awarded the Tabaret Goldfields Best New Business Award. It is an award given by
the Tourism Department of Victoria celebrating the best and most innovative
businesses in Victoria, Australia.
Located minutes from the spa country of Daylesford,
Victoria, the Chocolate Mill is a must see part of any trip to Australia. It is
located at 5451 Midland Hwy, Mount Franklin, Victoria. Seven minutes north of
Daylesford on Midland Highway (A300) heading towards Castlemaine. It is
approximately 1 ½ hours from the city of Melbourne. Visit their website for
further information, pictures and contact information:
http://www.chocmill.com.au/
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