Over the past few years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in how social media has affected various aspects of the food industry. This has led to the development of not only trends but also food influencers, #chefluencers, and more, shifting consumer behaviour and perceptions of their daily food choices.
One such story has been that of Australian influencer Nicholas Vavitis, who took to social media to explore and evaluate a diverse range of culinary delights across Australia.
His enduring passion for exceptional desserts and cakes culminated in his decision to create his signature product. While the journey had been daunting and filled with apprehension, Vavitis created his brand, CHOCLT.
“I moved to Brisbane during COVID-19 and had no job, so in my spare time, I took up baking and wanted to see what desserts I could make. I began handing them out, and people loved them and wanted me to start selling them,” said Vavitis.
Vavitis’ signature dessert has been the CHOCLT brownies, which took a lot of trial and error due to his lack of baking experience. He tested various flavour combinations to see what paired well with the other and learned how to bake properly.
“I couldn’t even make a cookie to start with.”
The community, which loves the product, sets CHOCLT brownies apart from others on the market. Vavitis was thankful for how people search for CHOCLT products and how much love the brand gets.
He also felt that CHOCLT offers many unique flavours and that the constant limited-edition flavours kept people coming back.
In terms of sourcing ingredients for CHOCLT, Vavitis decided to select the top-tier Sydney-based Buonissimo.
“Both Mike and Dave, who own Buonissimo, always care about the production of the brownies. They always source ingredients from local Australian businesses. How they handle and store their ingredients leaves me feeling like my product is in good hands.”
Being stocked in 1000 Woolworths stores and, recently, 850 Coles stores has been quite unbelievable for Vavitis, who said it all happened so quickly. At the same time, this has not let him divert his focus from delivering a good product.
“I always prioritise quality over quantity, so for the time being, I’m focusing on delivering a good product. I feel like when you focus on that, doors open naturally.”
His dream has been to have a CHOCLT product in every aisle and to continue testing the boundaries.
“I can’t give away too much, but in summertime, everyone’s in for a real treat.”
Despite the success that CHOCLT has garnered, Vavitis said that running the business has been the biggest challenge.
“You need to have a passion for what you do, but sometimes, you wear ten different hats, and navigating your way around scaling a business can be quite hard.”
Vavitis was extremely grateful to everyone who continues to purchase CHOCLT products, and he felt so fulfilled seeing people going out and emptying shelves.
