Dunedin's chocoholics prepare their Jaffa roll

Dunedin's chocoholics prepare their Jaffa roll

Dunedin Cadbury Chocolate Carnival
11 - 17 July, 2010

Chocoholics are smacking their lips in anticipation of a Kiwi food festival that’s become an annual family favourite - Dunedin’s Cadbury Chocolate Carnival.

This year marks the carnival’s 10th anniversary in the South Island city of Dunedin, and while chocolate treats and activities are always top of the menu, desserts and other sugary snacks also get an outing to tempt sweet-toothed fans.

Highlights of the 2010 carnival will include the annual Cadbury Jaffa Race - a sweet spectacle on the world’s steepest street, and a nostalgic Kiwi play inspired by an afternoon tea menu and called ‘Ladies a Plate’.

The family carnival also offers chocolate classes, competitions, storytelling, food tours, games, arts and crafts.

Steepest street in the world
Baldwin Street, Dunedin is recognised as the ‘steepest street in the world’ by Guinness Book of World Records.

This year, there will be two Cadbury Jaffa races down the street.

The popular race involves rolling a sea of Giant Jaffas, or orange candy-coated chocolate balls down the steep descent, which - in the opposite direction - rises by one metre for every 2.8 metres travelled horizontally.

Each Giant Jaffa is individually numbered by hand and all the money raised from ticket sales go towards chosen charities.

Since 2002, the race has raised over NZ$410,000 for local charities. Winning balls are collected at the bottom of the street and can take as little as 15 seconds to roll to the finish line.

'Ladies, a plate'
Kiwi mother-and-daughter acting duo Geraldine Brophy and Bea Joblin will star in ‘Ladies a Plate’ - a play about love, food, family and the perfect puff pastry.

The play is inspired by a classic Kiwi saying - ‘Ladies, a plate’ - that often confuses new arrivals. ‘Ladies a plate’ is a traditional request made to invitees to gatherings such as social events or meetings to bring a plate of food - cakes, biscuits, sandwiches or savouries - to share for afternoon tea or supper.
The storyline is based on family stories passed down the generations, and recalls a time when Kiwi hospitality demanded that family cake tins were filled each week with fresh home baking.

The typical afternoon tea - a tradition imported by early British settlers - featured home-made Kiwi staples such as meringues, sausage rolls, sponge cakes and Anzac biscuits.

While afternoon tea or high tea has become a Kiwi tradition, it started out in colonial times as a necessity when leftovers from midday were served as the substitute for an evening meal.

A modern afternoon tea is more likely to be a special occasion with small pastries, cakes, savouries and sandwiches served on tiered cake stands along with a selection of fancy teas.

Carnival atmosphere
Cadbury Chocolate Carnival attracts thousands of visitors with its carnival atmosphere and wide range of events.

The Cadbury Dairy Milk Gala Day is an indoor event with interactive family entertainment. Local businesses are also offering discounted entry fees for visitors wanting to explore more of the Otago peninsula region.

Foreboding Larnach Castle will host events for all the family - a Victorian-themed masque ball for adults, and a teddy bears picnic in the castle grounds. The teddy bear fashion parade features outfits created from Cadbury chocolate wrappers.

Visitors can also take the Cadbury Crunchie Train for a chocolate treasure hunt. One of New Zealand’s top scenic rail rides, the Taieri Gorge Railway travels along the famous Taieri river gorge.

Background: Cadbury World
Cadbury World has made confectionary in Dunedin for more than 70 years, and is New Zealand's biggest chocolate producer.

The working factory is open to the public, taking visitors behind the scenes to sample chocolate products and view treats such as a chocolate fall housed in a five-storey silo.

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