Sweet supplies! The chocolate has arrived

THE lead-up to Easter has been far from sweet for Perth chocolatier John Walker.

He was already navigating a challenging retail landscape and lengthy shopping centre redevelopment when the full force of the Covid-19 pandemic hit his long-standing business.

Like most store owners, government fiscal measures, leases and more stringent hygiene practices are now top of mind.

But he has the extra pressure of working up to 17-hour days to recover from a five-week disruption to his milk chocolate supply that left John Walker Chocolatier shops and pop-up sites in Karrinyup and Booragoon devoid of the most popular delights at the busiest time of year.

“Easter production usually starts once Valentine’s Day is over, so that alone has been a bit of a nightmare but three tonnes of Belgian couverture finally arrived last Friday and I’m hoping to receive another tonne soon,” Mr Walker said.

His team of 12 is still madly trying to play catch-up even on year-round treats – think rocky road, peanut rough, pralines and truffles – crafted from milk chocolate, which accounts for 60-75 per cent of sales.

He is optimistic despite the challenges and will not decrease production at his Morley factory, creating more than 40 Easter lines in milk, dark and white chocolate at similar levels to last year.

Items range from a 25g bar up to a massive 1.25kg standing rabbit, plus more dark chocolate goodies than ever to meet growing demand.

“We’re in unprecedented times and every business has issues to deal with,” he said.

“For my industry, this is our major peak time; it’s so important cash flow-wise going forward.

“I’m taking the perspective that we’re trading as normal, we’ll have product out there and we hope our customers keep supporting us.

“No-one knows what to expect and obviously the virus will have an impact, but the light for us might be that people shop earlier in case there’s a shutdown instead of the usual last-minute rush.”

Mr Walker is offering home delivery on Good Friday and Easter Saturday.

The online store is at www.johnwalkerchocolatieros.com.au