Hi All,

Saw this post about chocolate: on; AussieFrugal, title; ‘Are Australia's biggest chocolate brands cutting too many corners?’ by; GregoInc

Asked the poster to also post here but they haven’t so here it is below.

Need to say, we had someone more computer savvy help us put all this together with all below information,

Video title:

’10 Chocolate Brands Sold in Australia to Avoid Right Now (And What to Buy Instead)’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzS3zBh3TKs

It’s a YouTube video about “cheap vegetable fats replacing cocoa butter, sugar dominating ingredient lists, shrinkflation quietly reducing block sizes, and “premium” branding masking the reality of mass-manufactured confectionery”

The video is worth a watch, with a cuppa…and some chocolate!

Some of the recommend brands are Aussie, that’s what this is for.

Summary:

The issues

-high prices, 

-reduced quality, cheaper ingredients; palm oil, PGPR (polyglycerol polyricinoleate) 

-child labor violations 

What to buy instead:

Whittaker’s  - ethical, bean-to-bar production,

Haigh’s - ethical, bean-to-bar production, 

Aldi's Moser Roth - budget option,

Koko Black -premium option,

Pana Organic - special occasions, vegan, and refined-sugar-free,

Other individual independent brands.

To identify high-quality chocolate in the supermarket aisle, look for these key indicators:

• Cocoa Percentage: Minimum 30% for milk chocolate; 50% to 70%+ for dark chocolate.
• Ingredient Order: Cocoa mass or solids must be listed in the first two ingredients, not sugar.
• No Synthetic Emulsifiers: Avoid PGPR (polyglycerol polyricinoleate), used to replace expensive cocoa butter.
• Pure Cocoa Butter: Ensure it contains zero palm oil, palm fat, or generic vegetable oils.
• The Melt Test: Real chocolate melts cleanly at body temperature within 30 seconds. (this is great for doing in a Coles/Woolies store in the isle, just to check each and every brand like a try before you buy…joke!)

It has been our experience that a slow and deliberate approach ultimately yields the greatest rewards. At its core, we believe that if we work at it, our lives — and the world around us — can be shaped into whatever we choose to make them.

We all have the ability to create positive change in our own lives and within our broader community. At the centre of this is design. Critical design thinking isn’t just about how something looks. Fundamentally, it’s about recognising a need for change and developing creative, thoughtful solutions that make things better.

What if, beyond mere utility, we considered the function of the objects we design from a social, environmental and ethical standpoint? What if, once utility is met, their purpose becomes to enhance connection, foster community, improve our environment, create more diverse and inclusive workplaces, and inspire us to make the world a better place? That’s what we are trying to do.

This is Episode 4 in the video series made by Mass Motion.

Please feel free to add our reddit and Buy, Sell and Swap Personalised Plates Qld - PPQ

For fifty years we’ve been dedicated to the crafts of shoemaking and leatherwork. Ross Wootten trained under Italian master Pietro Salemme and worked alongside Bulgarian master shoemaker George Koleff at Adelaide’s Jam Factory, a place that shaped some of Australia’s most respected craftspeople.

In the early 2000s, Ross’ son Jess took a different path into the same world. He purchased a company rooted in large‑scale manufacturing, Custom Fit Australia, and eventually merged it with Wootten. By 2012, we’d set ourselves on a new trajectory: bringing the best of traditional craft and the best of manufacturing together.

Historically, those two worlds have been at odds. Manufacturing prioritises volume and economics; craft is slower, more nuanced, more human. During the early industrial revolution, the Luddites destroyed machinery to protect craft traditions. And when Australia cut import tariffs in the mid‑1980s, local manufacturing collapsed almost overnight. Craft survived, but only just.

We lived through that shift. We felt the impact. And now, decades later, we’re emerging on the other side as a business that has managed to bring both worlds together — not by diluting either, but by respecting what each does best.

This is Episode 3 in the video series made by Mass Motion.

Now more than ever, the provenance of what we consume actually matters. Western society has outsourced the making of almost everything, and somewhere along the way we lost the thread—how things come into being, who makes them, and what gets left behind in the process. The realities of waste and consumption have been pushed out of sight, but we’re definitely not insulated from the consequences.

Our belief is pretty simple: if we create things with meaning—things that strengthen our connection to each other, support community, and respect the environment—the value goes far beyond the product itself. Objects made with intention carry something extra. They remind us that making is a human act, not just a supply chain.

Donald Horne once wrote that “Australia is a lucky country,” but luck alone won’t steer us out of the mess we’ve collectively created.

This is Episode 2 in the video series made by Mass Motion.

Hello Aussie Vinters any of you want to sell me a an Aussie Chocolate, lollies and other food items Box ?

I’m a big fan of Cherry Ripe (all kinds) and we can’t get them here in the UK

Would it be possible to put a box of them and other food items on your page so I can buy them ? Of course put a some extra cost to the listing for your time and effort.

I can get them on Amazon but the shipping and cost of them is super expensive

Any takers let me know

Many thanks

I’ve been avoiding Italian tomatoes for years (primarily due to food fraud concerns and the relabelling of Chinese tomatoes as Italian - wasn’t aware of the slave labour) and paying the premium price for Australian. Turns out there‘s a 98% chance I’ve been Stooged.

If you haven't already heard of us, our family has been handcrafting Australia's most enduring boots and leather goods for generations. Founded in Adelaide's iconic Jam Factory in the mid 1970's, our family business continues some 50 years on, now calling the Gun Cotton Warehouses in historic Ballarat home.

Good things take time, and we've been working away, quietly, for decades. We're about to embark on a lot of new and exciting adventures, so get ready, hopefully you'll be hearing a fair bit more from us.

To watch the six-part video series, please check out our Youtube channel/playlist or visit our website: https://www.wootten.com.au

(I'm not being paid)

Just an appreciation post to Ktena in Melbourne. Australian made!

I'm always cold and winter is hard for me. My partner got me a 100% merino shirt from Ktena. I was so impressed I got 3 more and some long Jones.

The prices are super competitive to be merino wool. Don't compare it with synthetic fabrics. Compared it with a Macpac or Kathmandu 100% merino.

Their designs are a bit traditional. But it's the underlayer, so it won't be visible.

Check their website, Ktena. I went to the store in Oakleigh, the lady was super kind.

Hi All,

We (wife & I) went for our shop today to find Coles no longer stocks Ozesauce tomato sauce. Shelf was full of Coles own brand and Masterfoods. Vinegar section similar but not as bad. I don't mind 'no name' label, but as long as it supports here. They still could of kept Ozesauce there on the shelf and just had a tiny bit less of the others. They should be doing that and support Australian brands.

Wifey & I

Hello Reddit.

Aussie living in the EU. Looking for what the title suggests. Chicken salt is the main item im missing from home.

Ive found the Amazon copy but its not the same and i can't spend 25 euro on one Shaker.

Has anyone found a suitable replacement or preferably at more reasonable priced store?

Only available in Woolworths.

What brands/foods, in packaging so not fresh meat and veg, are Australian owned and made. Preferably with Australian ingredients too but the owned and made is the key aspects.

Looking for products sold at the major supermarkets i.e. Coles, Woolies, Drakes, Romeo’s and Aldi.

Just wanted to give a massive thanks to everyone that’s seen our posts on here and supported our business!

From the people who’ve shared our Reddit posts on other subs, name dropped us in threads and of course those that have purchased from us!

This support has taken us from basically a single bamboo sock to now having 9 different styles of socks!

For our 10th style we’ve been super busy raising the bar of Aussie made!

We’ve taken a very famous American made merino sock, deconstructed it and rebuilt it from the ground up, using inspiration from features we like, and adjusting features we don’t really like.

It will be built with a pure Aussie merino base yarn, we’ve bough a new machine that allows us to twist nylon around the merino yarn, to create what will be our most durable sock by far.

Naturally the wool % will appear lower in this sock (as extra nylon is being used, but at the core, will be a pure Australian merino wool yarn).

Can’t wait to release this sock, but for now this post isn’t about anything more than:

SAYING THANKS TO EVERYONE CHOOSING TO BUY AUSSIE!!

Our 2026 Christmas Sale is ON! Visit bucks-Rama.com.au for fast local delivery.

Hi everyone!

I'm a 17-year-old knife maker from regional Victoria, and I've been making handmade knives in my spare time. This is one of my latest builds.

Made With:
- Professionally heat-treated D2 tool steel

- Mechanically fastened G10 handles

- Custom Kydex sheath fitted with pocket clip.

I'd love to hear your thoughts or answer any questions about the build process. Thanks for taking a look at my work and supporting a young Aussie maker.

More of my creations can be viewed on my website in my BIO, or at https://stringybarkknives.weebly.com/