Can we be honest about chocolate for a moment?
Once you start looking beyond the marketing on the front of the pack, it’s just the way things are becomes more difficult to accept. Cacao sourcing practices, ingredient quality, and the process of making chocolate gives us a peak into a world beyond mass produced diary milk chocolate.
This week, we’re exploring a selection of boutique chocolate options from brands that looked behind the curtain and didn't like what they saw so they decided to do something about it.
The Bennetto Chocolate Range
Recently there has been a growing awareness around chocolate products containing heavy metals.
But what you might not have heard is that the amount of heavy metals varies significantly between brands.
Independent lab testing paid for by the advocacy group Lead Safe Mama found that a Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Fruit & Nut Chocolate Bar quote “tested positive for Lead, Cadmium, and Arsenic at levels that are completely legal, but are considered by the scientific and medical communities to be unsafe for consumption by young children.”
Consumer Reports reviewed 28 popular chocolate brands and found detectable cadmium and lead in all of them. However the showstopper was that for 23 of the bars, eating just 30 grams a day would put an adult over a level that public health authorities say may be harmful.
That’s scary stuff because consistent exposure over the long term to even small amounts of heavy metals can lead to health problems like nervous system problems, hypertension, immune system suppression, kidney damage, and reproductive issues.
We don’t say that to scare you away from eating chocolate.
Not when companies like Bennetto prove that heavy metal contamination isn’t “just the way things are”.
They work directly with small-scale farmers to source the highest quality raw ingredients that are organic and Fairtrade. What we love is that all their chocolate is processed in Switzerland, by the manufacturer HALBA, who conduct regular tests to ensure the metal content is well below the standards set by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
So the moral of the story is that it might be worth changing our eating habits when it comes to chocolate but that doesn’t mean cutting it out entirely.
Check out Bennetto’s amazing range of flavours on our website and taste the small batch difference.
Pana Organic Chocolate Range
Not everyone wants dark chocolate.
Some people simply prefer chocolate that’s creamy, soft, and familiar but dairy intolerance, allergies, or a vegan diet can make that hard to find.
A lot of dairy-free chocolate misses the mark. It might be technically “milk,” but the texture is thin, the flavour feels flat, or the sweetness is doing too much work to compensate.
Pana takes a more thoughtful approach.
Their Mylk chocolate range uses coconut milk powder instead of dairy to create a genuinely creamy texture, without relying on artificial additives. The chocolate is handcrafted, made with 99% organic ingredients, and designed to taste indulgent, not like a substitute.
They also lean into flavour, with options like Rocky Road alongside more classic profiles, so dairy-free doesn’t mean boring or limiting.
If you want creamy chocolate but can’t or don’t want to have dairy, this is one of the rare ranges that actually delivers the experience you’re looking for.
Nutra Naturals Collagen Hot Chocolate
A lot of chocolate cravings don’t happen during the day, they show up at night.
You want something warm and comforting, but most hot chocolates are basically sugar in a mug. They taste good in the moment, then spike your blood sugar, leaving you wired which messes with REM sleep.
At the same time, functional drinks can feel hard to trust. Big promises, taste artificial or bland, and turn a simple pleasure into a supplement routine.
Nutra Organics’ Collagen Hot Chocolate is designed to change that experience.
It delivers the chocolatey comfort you want, with functional benefits which add to the experience. The 3,000 mg of collagen makes the drink even creamier, without altering taste and the magnesium supports muscle relaxation and calms the nervous system.
With very low sugar and no artificial flavours, you get a creamy, delicious hot chocolate made with organic cocoa and carob that actually supports deep sleep.
NU Harvest Chocolate Moon Mylk
If we’re being honest, the end of the day can leave you feeling wired, not tired.
Your head is still busy so you scroll, snack and try to take your mind off the day with something warm and comforting.
But reaching for a sugary hot chocolate late at night will probably keep you half-awake and restless.
That’s why it isn’t surprising that a lot of people use stronger options.
The issue is how sleeping pills actually work.
Research from organisations like the NIH and CDC shows that common sedative sleep medications induce sedation rather than natural sleep, meaning they don’t replicate normal sleep cycles and can reduce time spent in REM with continued use.
Long-term use has been shown to build dependence, making it harder to fall asleep without medication and leads to rebound insomnia when stopped. They are also linked to next-day drowsiness, reduced alertness, and impaired coordination.
Moon Mylk feels different because it’s not trying to knock you out.
It’s a gentle, low-sugar chocolate drink made with calming ingredients like magnesium, glycine, tryptophan, and zinc, things that support your body’s natural wind-down process.
Think of it as part of a new evening ritual.
- Putting the phone down at least 1 hour before bed
- Dimming the lights
- Maybe add a warm bath into your routine
- And finishing the day with a warm chocolate moment
It’s not about fixing sleep, but creating a consistent routine that lets your body and mind ease into restful sleep.
