Twenty years ago, Life & Leisure stepped into the chocolatey world of Makana Confections, establishing our much-loved food producer profiles. Twenty years on, we sit down with current owners Brian Devlin and Carole Flowers.

What drew you to Makana Confections?

I am originally from Donegal, Ireland and Carole from Edinburgh, Scotland, and we first fell in love with New Zealand when we holidayed here in 2002 – and then again in 2003! But I have had an interest in New Zealand since I was seven years old, when I would listen to stories from my uncle of his time serving in the merchant navy and the adventures he had here during that time. I was hooked!

We fell in love with the beauty of the Bay of Islands when on holiday and relocated here in 2005. We were regular Makana Confections customers and admired the Makana principles, so didn’t hesitate in purchasing the business from Jim and Debi Makaweo in 2006.

Interestingly, on our big New Zealand holiday of 2002, the two places we spent most time of our time in were Marlborough and the Bay of Islands, where coincidentally the two Makana businesses are located!

Makana was built on the desire to continue the legacy of roadside stalls in Kerikeri – how have you maintained this?

Each our of facilities are set up like a winery cellar door but with the addition of watching our chocolates being made. Customers get to taste a few samples and, of course, shop for delicious chocolates.

Because we deal directly with our customers (with no middlemen, wholesalers, or retailers), Makana products are as fresh as they can be. We never add artificial flavourings, colourings, or preservatives and all our confections are made with the finest and freshest ingredients possible to ensure absolute satisfaction. We made the decision early on to build on the core principals established by Jim and Debi, so still produce genuine handmade confections without the use of moulds.

We start with the best possible ingredients, of course, and we never skimp on the premium ingredients. For example, if macadamia nuts are featured, you can be sure that our recipes include generous quantities of macadamia kernels. We make all our products by hand in small batches and hand-pack all of our products which gives us an additional level of control over the product quality.

Over the past 10 years we have extended and refurbished both the Kerikeri and Blenheim stores with a particular emphasis on enhancing the customer experience. The newly refurbished retail areas lend themselves to an open, relaxed and friendly shopping environment.

What is your top-selling confection?

Hands down it is our famous Macadamia Butter Toffee Crunch – handmade toffee perfectly blended with premium macadamia nuts. With wicked amounts of real New Zealand butter offering a unique combination of buttery sweetness and nutty crunch, it is served in serious slabs.

Is there a flavour distinction between North and South Island shoppers?

There is very little difference in consumer choices in the North and South Islands, with a few minor exceptions. As our Blenheim store is in the heart of the Marlborough wine area, our wine-associated products, Marlborough Pinot Noir Truffles and Marlborough Wine Gelees are naturally more popular in the South Island. Also, the Marlborough wine area attracts a lot of international visitors whereas the Bay of Islands depends more on domestic tourism.