Cocoa Nib - Handcrafted Chocolate - Newcastle

Cocoa Nib is a handcrafted chocolate shop in The Junction, Newcastle, built around small-batch chocolate made by founder Aymee and her team. The range is produced using French couverture and includes artisan bonbons, bars, bites, jars, blocks, barks and chocolate-based cakes and desserts. The shop also offers gift cards, with its broader business catering for weddings, special occasions, corporate events and wholesale orders.

There is plenty to browse if you like variety. The range includes Macdamia Buttercrunch, Cranberry & Coconut Buttercrunch, Honeycomb, Salted Butter Caramels, Dark Almond Toffee and Chocolate Speckles, alongside bonbons and mix-and-match bars and bites. Other named treats include Hot Chocolate Balls, Mint Slice, Peanut Butter Meltaway, Hazelnut Block, Turkish Delight and Pistachio Chocolate, and Chocolate Orange. The bonbons are a particular point of difference: Cocoa Nib describes them as painted creations with traditional or modern flavour combinations, and says each one can take up to four days to make.

The business grew from Aymee’s long-standing interest in pastry and chocolate. After growing up in a small rural town, she trained as a pastry chef from the age of 20 and worked in notable restaurants including Flying Fish in Pyrmont. Her chocolate work eventually led her towards Newcastle and the Hunter, where Cocoa Nib developed a following through the Olive Tree markets before establishing storefronts in The Junction and the Hunter Valley. That background is reflected in the shop’s focus on considered flavour, with the chocolate described as smooth and not overly sweet.

For a visitor to The Junction, Cocoa Nib suits a focused sweet stop, a gift search or a chocolate box for a celebration. The business also offers cakes, including Lemon & Pistachio Cake, Chocolate Raspberry & Sour Cream Brownie, Chocolate Lover and White Chocolate; cake orders require four days’ notice and are collected from the The Junction store. With its gift, wedding and corporate offerings, it can also work for planned events as well as an individual treat. The website does not position the store as a sit-down café, so it is best approached as a place to browse and take home handcrafted chocolate.