Do you have fond memories of watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, dreaming of all the delicious goodness? Well, the good news is that Cape Town has its own mini version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Yes, I’m talking about the newly launched store at Canal Walk, The Good Batch. Pretty much a chocolate lovers dream. But don’t worry if you’re into savory delights – they have something for you too!

The Good Batch brings new excitement to Canal Walk

The Good Batch is a family-run taste emporium that gathers together top quality delicacies from both around the world as well as local soil. This includes the good batch of nuts, chocolate, coffee and more to satisfy every craving.

We were lucky enough to be invited to the launch of this exciting new store. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a terrible sweet tooth. So, basically getting invited to this event was my own version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Think coffee on tap, ice-cream popsicles, nut butters and then every sort of chocolate or sweet treat you can imagine. The event was held on the morning that the store opened to the public, so there was lots of excitement and anticipation in the air.

The inspiration behind the brand

The Good Batch is a family run business that gather together delicacies from around the world. It is the brainchild of Alexi Hadjidakis, who has grown up learning from his father who started the iconic 7-Eleven’s in South Africa. Alexi was inspired by the quality and displays at a food show he visited in Dubai, and was determined to bring this market-style experience back home to South Africa. The majority of the products are sold by weight, so guests can determine the quantity they desire.

Some of the delicacies you’ll find at The Good Batch

• Nuts (including hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, macadamia, pistachio and more!)
• Nut butters
• Coffee
• Truffles
• Pralines
• Chocolate salami
• Halva
• Fudge
• Nougat
• Bonbons
• Biscuits
• Ice-cream
• Marshmellows
• Biltong

And probably a whole bunch of other things that don’t come to mind right now!

What I loved from the store!

Well, while at the actual launch I thought that their coffee (and they have both regular and iced) was really delicious. They have their own specialty roasted beans which I thought were a great medium roast to suit many palettes.

In terms of the sweet treats, some of the items I thoroughly enjoyed were:

1. The fudge. I chose the honeycomb fudge and it was absolutely delicious! It was really soft and gooey with the nicest flavour. At the same time, it wasn’t sickly sweet. I’ll definitely return for the fudge because I also think it makes a lovely gift because of it’s presentation
2. Truffles! I also chose a selection of their truffles for my goodie bag, and the selection was just YUM! To be honest, I really can’t decide what I prefer- the salted caramel or cappuccino. Sooooo good!
3. The nut butters. The nut butters are purely ground nuts and you can have them ground fresh just for you! So, that means no nasties or additives – just pure goodness.
4. The toffees – chewy centers dipped in milk chocolate (need I say more?!)

The Good Batch was officially open from the 19th of October and is open daily from 9am to 9pm. Look out for a second shop opening in Cavendish Square in March 2019!