A West Moonah chocolate maker has gone from selling homemade treats to stocking London shelves in just 15 months, thanks to local support and premium Tasmanian ingredients.
Chris Greentree launched Kenyak in late 2024 after years of perfecting his craft as a self-taught chocolatier.
The former pastry chef now creates handcrafted chocolates from the lower level of his converted home, going downstairs each morning into his dedicated production space to craft confections for more than 60 stockists.
He shipped 106 parcels in a single day this week alone in the lead up to Easter.
“To be selling chocolate in London after 15 months … it’s absolutely wild,” he told Pulse.
Greentree sources his honey for his honeycomb chocolate from Blue Hills Honey, a family beekeeping business operating in Tasmania’s north-west since the late 1950s.
The hives are left in the wilderness for up to six months, creating what he describes as an unmatched flavour density.
“To have this honey from the north-west of Tassie, that is so special. And I think almost sacred, like how special it is, on the shelf in London now, it’s wild.”
The breakthrough into the overseas market came through an unexpected connection.
Greentree’s chocolates caught the eye of Pepe Saya butter makers during a visit to Pigeon Hole Bakers in Hobart, where Greentree still works part-time.
Pierre Issa from Pepe Saya said his team was immediately impressed by the unique chocolates.
“They’re moreish … he has a unique flavor in the chocolates. They’re really, really nice,” he told Pulse.
“And this is what we love about his, the fact that he’s local, he’s small business, family-owned business.”
“It’s local. And for us, local is Australia.”
Pepe Saya now stocks Kenyak products online and helped connect the brand with Panzer’s Delicatessen in London, where the chocolates are now sold.
The chocolatier imports premium Swiss chocolate that’s conched during manufacturing – a rare process that he says brings out delicate fruit and floral notes usually lost in mass production.
He said the flavours he aims for are inspired by the best moments of your childhood, the ones you can still taste if you close your eyes.
Starting from seven stockists last Easter, Kenyak now supplies over 60 retailers across Australia and recently signed its first Hobart hotel for minibar distribution.
The company made last year’s Broadsheet’s Best Easter Chocolate, despite not doing anywhere near as much business as this year.
“[Last Easter] was like super challenging, so that was like a really nice moment to just reflect on what we’ve done and … the product that we were building,” Greentree said.
“This year’s production, like there was some days during Easter production where I was producing more in half a day than I did for the entirety of last Easter.”
Greentree plans to move into a warehouse within 12 months, though he’s determined to maintain the hands-on approach that got him noticed.
“I just really enjoy chocolate work and want to stay doing that no matter how the business grows,” he said.
He said the best way to get his chocolate was to join his mailing list at www.kenyak.com.au.
