WHO WE ARE
Authentically South African
Winston and Julia is a small artisanal chocolate company. We are passionate and dedicated in producing good quality chocolate and chocolate products. We use ingredients that are found in nature and that we know where it comes from. Our chocolate reflects our commitment to being natural and to nature.
Our assortment of products have a decadent combination of delicious flavours all coated in chocolate. Packed in uniquely South African designed boxes inspired by our fauna and flora.
We are more than ‘just chocolate’ – we are based in Africa and love Africa
At Winston & Julia, we believe in 'life in balance'. Life without some decadence will be so dull! We craft good quality mini-bite confections. We take fresh cream, real butter, farm honey and fresh eggs and turn it into decadent and absolute delicious nougats, toffees and rocas. We make it in small batches to guarantee the great taste one only gets from home-made confections.
We use an exceptionally good quality chocolate to make chocolate tumbles with unusual centres. We live by the motto that the chocolates within are just as pleasing to the palette as the packaging. With our product ranges we cater for a variety of tastes from our Toffee & Honeycomb milk chocolate slabs to our banting range of cocoa nibs in 80% sugar-free chocolate. Our packaging is created for specific niche markets, from hotels, corporates to tourists to anybody that needs a pretty, great tasting gift.
Winston & Julia caters for a wide variety of tastes and preferences – from decadent confectionery coated in chocolate to healthier sundried fruit in 60% chocolate to complete guilt-free chocolate with fruit and nuts in 80% sugar-free chocolate. Our hampers are bursting with a variety of fabulous flavours which will delight chocolate lovers as they discover something special to share and enjoy.
Our objective is to create great tasting products, but that are also not completely foreign and wayward. We want people to try, taste and enjoy!
Proudly SA
We want to see Africa work. It is about the land, the people and interconnected relationships, and we want our products to reflect that.
Made by Hand
Our focus is on producing products in small batches by hand, not in huge machines. Therefore creating much needed work in our country.
Supporting Local
We buy our dried fruit, which we use in our chocolates centres, directly from the African farmers. The fruit has been hand cut before drying in the sun.
Packed with Pride
Our first priority is about crafting delicious chocolate products housed in beautifully designed packaging. Our packaging is all designed and produced locally.
Love Chocolate
We realise we cannot make a difference in our local community by giving people a meaningful income, if people do not love and buy our chocolate.
Collaboration
We started collaborating with an African bean-to-bar company, where the African Cocoa farmers benefit directly from the sale of their beans.
Our Story
In 2007 BC (before chocolate!), owner of Winston and Julia, Nini Jerman, had a small glass business, manufacturing hand crafted glass bowls and platters. But overnight electricity prices became too high for a craft business to survive.
The glass manufacturing was a moulding process. Nini's wonderful logic then thought, ‘chocolate’ can also be moulded, but at a much lower temperature. At that point, Nini started learning and reading – where chocolate comes from – botanically, historically, culturally, how it is made, how it gets sold. She did a course in chocolate appreciation and learn how to make ganaches and confections. She was so excited and inspired. A whole new world opened up.
At the same time, she realised that with the growth of the artisanal movement, the chocolate landscape is changing. Just like coffee and craft beer, consumers want to know where the goods come from and what the story behind it is. Nini is from an entrepreneurial family and with a post grad degree, all the boxes were ticked – an African chocolate business was born!
2009
Chocolate Making Course
Attend Chocolate making course at Lindt Studios.
2010
Getting the idea and brand established
Experiment with chocolate ganaches. Design logo and packaging. Exhibit at Kamers vol Geskenke with individual chocolates ganaches and truffles.
2011
Supply to our first Hotel
Supply Lanzarac Hotel with chocolate truffles and ganaches.
2012
Wedding Market
Supply wedding market with printed customised lollies and chocolates.
2012
Refocus the business
We start experimenting with dried fruit and chocolate. Increase our work space and make the chocolate factory more professional.
2014
Import chocolate panning machine from France
We start making chocolate tumbles with fruity centres: Apricot & Peach, Fig & Date, Citrus Confit, Pear and Prune. We also started making confectionery products and coat it in 60% chocolate.
2014
Rebrand
We developed a new logo and packaging.
2015
Exhibit at Markets
Exhibit at Saturday markets, like Slow Food Market and Blaawklippen Market. Start supplying numerous hotels and retail outlets, like Cape Farmstall, Vineyard Deli and Warwick Wine Estate.
2015
Introduce African inspired packaging
African Big 5 animals and indigenous flowers. Start supplying shops at airports, game parks and numerous tourist spots.
2016
Retail outlets and adding ranges
Increase retail outlets. Also add the facility to do cut-out messages, like 'Thank You' and 'Enjoy your stay'. Add 'Homegrown Range' - Marula and Rooibos Berry tumbles. Add Peanut Crunch and Coffee Crunch to confectionery tumbled range. Introduce Drinking chocolate range.
2017
Gift boxes and more
Add Drinking chocolate gift boxes and introduce Sulphur-free fruit range coated in 70% chocolate. We expand our ranges: Nature inspired gift range, chocolate slabs, 80% sugar free range with coated sulphur-free fruit and nuts. We also added more retail outlets stocking Winston and Julia.
Exhibit at CY Market, Stellenberg Kersmark and Kamers vol Geskenke. Attend first export marketing trade show.