Adelaide’s master of the cocoa bean and maker of serious choc-honeycomb.
WHO Steven ter Horst trained as a chef, then walked away from cooking for a decade, working in banking and teaching English in Japan before deciding to specialise in making fine chocolates. His range of chocolates and tablets feature such exotic combinations as pistachio and sour cherry, and banana with pepper.
HOW In seven years, ter Horst has progressed from making chocolates in his townhouse and selling at a farmers’ market to running a chic city chocolate boutique, replete with café seating, cabinets stocked with pâtisserie by his partner Chantelle Giardina, and hot drinks to accompany the sweet treats. He also conducts chocolate masterclasses in store, demonstrating chocolate tempering and making ganaches and truffles.
WHY Tempered from several brands of Belgian couverture and double-polished, ter Horst’s chocolates have a brilliant gloss. Their centres are flavoured with authentic ingredients rather than concentrates, from Ardbeg single-malt whisky to mangrove honey infused with saffron. Customers like the quirky charm of hazelnut praline inside a hedgehog-shaped mould that ter Horst found during a chocolate discovery tour of Europe, although a highly seasoned fleur de sel remains his most popular item. We think his choc-honeycomb may put an end to the Violet Crumble-versus-Crunchie debate forever.
Steven ter Horst, 256 Rundle St, Adelaide, SA, (08) 7226 6216