I wanted to take the boys on a day trip somewhere and discovered a place in the middle of Victoria that claimed to have the best hot chocolate in the State. I LOVE my hot chocolates, so I thought what perfect timing to see if they live up to what they claim. The place is called 'The Chocolate Mill' and it's located in Mt Franklin... the same Mt Franklin that the bottled water is named after.
Mt Franklin is about a 2 hour drive from where we live in the heart of some of Victoria's most beautiful countryside. There are natural springs around the place, and it's close to Daylesford, Trentham and Castlemaine... some of the most historic and romantic towns found inland in our state. Our trusty Sat Nav directed us to The Chocolate Mill with ease, and found it to be quite popular with others on a sunny Easter Saturday.
There were two sections to the Mill - the cafe and the chocolate shop with the attached factory. As soon as we arrived, we were eager to have 'the best hot chocolate in the State', so we went up to the cafe and ordered. I was determined to have my hot chocolate, but my boys weren't as much so. There was a choice of hot chocolates - a dark chocolate hot chocolate, a milk chocolate hot chocolate, a white chocolate hot chocolate and a chilli chocolate hot chocolate. I went for the standard milk chocolate version, while my boys opted for their deliciously smooth chocolate ice-cream with melted white chocolate on top.
Our gastronomic delights arrived, and the beautiful rich textures were just mmmmmm :)
The hot chocolate was made of chocolate buttons and milk, and you needed to stir the chocolate buttons to blend in with the milk to get the full benefit of the 'best hot chocolate in town.' For me, I don't think my milk was warm enough to claim it to be the best in the state. (Sorry Chocolate Mill)
After the boys finished their scrumptious looking ice-cream, my oldest son said that the ice-cream made him feel cold, and asked too, if he could have a hot chocolate. I said it was fine, so he went off to order himself one.
His arrived, and he stirred it well, out rivalling the hot chocolate I received... his was far more superior (as I had to have a taste to see if there was a difference) and it definitely deserved such a celebrated title. He loved it, and understandably.
We finished our chocolate feast and decided to go into the chocolate shop to see what we could purchase to take home. As we entered, one of the chocolatiers said that they were about to perform a demonstration on how they make chocolate. We stood in front of a window, shortest people closest to the window, taller at the back. The boys went in close to see how the chocolate lady formed the chocolate while the male chocolatier talked about the quality of the Belgian chocolate they used, the shelf life of the chocolate and where you can buy their chocolate. It was chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.
Half way through the presentation, my oldest son came up to me quietly and said 'Mum, I'm going to be sick.' So I grabbed my two boys, trying to dodge the twenty or so people crowded around the little window, and before we made it out the door, it all came up. He got it all over the entry floor, over the plastic door fringe (that stops the insects flying in), and the restrooms were located on the other side of the cafe, so it wasn't a good idea to have him vomiting in front of paying customers, so I took him outside the main entrance and made him complete emptying his stomach on the rock garden next to the entrance. A great look for those who were excited about tasting their beautiful chocolates.
He had soaked his sleeve with vomit and I didn't have a change of clothes for him. I asked the staff if they had any t-shirts for sale... Of course they did... and they all said the one thing... "Born chocoholic." Perfectly ironic for someone who has had too much.
So we left the Chocolate Mill kind of swiftly out of embarrassment more than desire. As we quietly drove the undulating hills, we took a wrong turn and found ourselves at Trentham Falls. A gorgeous little waterfall in the middle of nowhere... a place to get some fresh air and get some balance into my big boy's body.
It's amazing what the body does, but somehow, it just didn't stop him gorging himself with chocolate on Easter Sunday... but luckily, none of that chocolate came up!
PS: as a disclaimer for the Chocolate Mill, their chocolates are amazing, but the richness was way too strong for my son's tummy. It's chocolate to saviour and enjoy one piece at a time, not like supermarket chocolate that can be consumed by the bucket load and have no effect. Their quality speaks volumes. I'll definitely be back, but I will make sure my kids don't eat themselves silly. Sorry for the mess.
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