Sweet win for Fiona’s Indigenous chockies
What started as a way to heal a life-changing trauma and reconnect to her Indigenous roots, has led to a major national prize for Millthorpe-based chocolatier, Fiona Harrison.
Flat-out running her niche start-up, “Chocolate On Purpose”, she had no idea she had even been nominated for the inaugural prize until the judging committee contacted her.
However, being the first-ever winner of Indigenous Business of the Year at the Australian Rural Business Awards is definitely sweet recognition for the former bank teller, for whom her venture was a form of therapy.
“I was in a hostage situation in a bank, it was at an old branch at Newtown, and this was part of my journey of healing,” Fiona said of her thriving micro-business that produces unique chocolates using Australian native ingredients.
“When your life gets thrown upside down, it later gets rearranged in a different way,” she explained.
Fiona still does not know who made the call to the Awards, but is grateful nonetheless.
“No, I don’t know who nominated me, I was very much surprised, they did let us know I was nominated and then it went to a circle of award judges, who then announced the winner,” she explained.
“In a micro-business, you’re so busy keeping the wheels in motion, that this offers you the chance to stop and appreciate it,” she added.
Fiona’s unique business venture is now keeping plenty busy after she originally launched locally at a small art gallery in the historic town.
Native foods that she now incorporates into her range include the Illawarra and Davidson Plum, Quandong, finger lime, the Rosella flower, and the Mountain Pepper berry.
These native Australian foods, she says, not only taste good, but are infused with health-giving benefits as much spiritual as physical. “All these edibles have a traditional healing use and were traditionally used in bush medicine,” Fiona said.
“It’s about deepening respect for ancient Indigenous wisdom and culture. We infuse our chocolates with ancient wisdom and a mission,” she added.
The awards are designed to recognise the strength, resilience, and talent of small business owners in rural and regional areas who have, in the last few years alone, gone through droughts, bushfires, mouse plagues, floods, lack of tourism and a global pandemic.
Fiona believes that community plays an enormous part in her business success and contributes to the “circular economy” that supports the sustainability of country towns.
“I’m really grateful that demand has increased, I’m too busy to look at nominating at these awards myself, but I’m very grateful to the person or persons who did,” she said.