Pana Chocolate Review

Tested, written and photographed by Britt Cunningham for Food Freaks Melbourne

A visit to the home of vegan chocolate delights

The new Pana Chocolate store has opened to much excitement in Sydney recently, so we decided to make a trip to where it all began. The company, which makes raw vegan chocolates and treats, was established in Richmond, Melbourne, using the best organic and mostly fair trade ingredients. They create slices, chocolates, boxed chocolates and cakes that take vegan indulgences to a whole new level. Pana is famous amongst the vegan community for their superb products which are so skilfully created. While we had heard a lot about the melt-in-your-mouth bliss of Pana, we hadn’t yet tried any for ourselves, and our expectations were high.

The store in Richmond is suitably ‘designer’, with stark white walls, lined with clipboards, and one central eye-catching cabinet filled to the brim with equally ‘designer’ slices and chocolates. While a small space, it was teeming with die-hards patiently waiting to get their hands on their monthly, weekly or daily dose of Pana (no judgement here).

Obviously we couldn’t leave with just one treat, so we bought three to give you a more accurate overview of the products. No one can accuse us of an half-hearted effort! We happily carried away one Chocolate Attack Slice, a Topdeck and Raspberry Slice and a Pana Pop, also known as heaven on a stick. The Pana Pop is a chocolate ‘cheesecake’ covered in chocolate and nuts, all neatly grouped on an easy to hold stick. It really is like a Paddle Pop but better! The cheesecake is rich and the nut coating adds a fantastic texture. The Chocolate Attack slice has a firm base and a soft chocolate layer. It is rich, creamy and chocoholics will love it. The Topdeck and Raspberry slice was our favourite as it had the refreshing raspberry layer to cut through the sweetness of the slice. Judging from the three products we sampled, there are Pana treats to satisfy every level of sweet-tooth, and the biggest difficulty you will face is choosing which one to take home.

Copyright Britt Cunningham Freelancing 2016

Pana carry their philosophy of ‘love your insides. love the earth’ through to every component of the company. Their products are sourced from fair trade suppliers, and packaging is earth-friendly, right down to the printing methods used (soy-based inks and printed in Melbourne). You can purchase Pana products knowing that you are being kind to your body, and the environment, while enjoying superb products. It can be very difficult to find such decadent vegan/dairy free/ egg free desserts while out and about, and Pana do an incredible job of meeting that demand. If you are near Richmond, make the effort to go the Pana store and treat yourself to the best in decadent allergy-friendly desserts.