Why Rural Australian Stores Are the Heart of Christmas Gifting (And What to Stock This Year)

Doc. Choc here.

Somewhere in between the ham and tomato sauce sandwiches at Grandma’s and the annual treasure hunt for ceramic Christmas decorations in Muswellbrook, I started to understand what made country towns feel so special in December. Well, at least now looking back I did..

It wasn’t just the food (though the trifle and warm, expired soft drinks from Pop’s fourth fridge certainly helped). It was the way small stores and familiar faces came together to create something that felt like magic. Something that didn’t need to be wrapped in tinsel to feel like Christmas.

And I reckon that’s still true, especially now.

Closeup shot of Kenyak's chocoalte box, showing off 6 handmade chocolates painted in natural colours.

The Country Christmas Effect

In a small town, you don’t just “pop into a shop.” You know the owner. Maybe you went to school with their daughter. Maybe they’ve helped your parents with something important, or sponsored your local footy team. There’s a mutual understanding — and a real desire to give gifts that matter.

Every year, my family would try to shop local for Christmas. Not just because it was easier, but because it felt right. There was a little giftware store near the pool — packed to the rafters with tiny decorations. Mum and I would pick one or two each year, then wait ten minutes while the staff went hunting upstairs for the matching box. It was a novelty. A tradition. And always so special.

Then there was our annual trip to Precious Pieces in Denman — a mission for the perfect teacher gifts or something small and meaningful for family. It was all part of the season. Thoughtful. Local. Personal. Maybe we only visited those stores two or three times a year, but it was a tradition, and it mattered.

A Business Built on Community

My parents run a second-generation financial planning business. Through them, I learned how much trust matters in small towns — and the kind of respect that comes from being part of people’s lives across generations. That mindset is baked into everything I do with Kenyak.

We’re not here to flood the shelves, or be in all the supermarkets. We’re here to offer something genuinely special — chocolate that people remember long after the last bite.

What to Stock this Christmas

If you run a small store in a rural town — especially in NSW or Victoria — I’d love you to meet Kenyak. We're a small-batch chocolate company from Hobart, Tasmania, making nostalgic, distinctly Australian treats.

Here’s what we’re bringing to Christmas 2025:

  • A spiced caramelised white chocolate bar with PWB’s housemade gingerbread. Think Pfeffernüsse meets cookies and cream.

    Pigeon Whole Bakers are a Hobart Institution, part of the local community for over 10 years now, employing over 60 people.

  • A new release, inspired by my grandparents’ love for European Chocolates.

    Expect Bellgrove Whisky Chocolates, Apple Pomeau, and maybe even an after-dinner mint.

    Proper Christmas indulgence.

  • A cult favourite.

    Last year the girls at Petal Folk in Muswellbrook ordered one box to try, and ten days later found themselves with three boxes worth on pre-order.

Stock Something That Feels Different

In a world of online marketplaces and lookalike products, Kenyak gives you something tactile. Something with a story. Something you can introduce to a customer and say, “you’re going to love this — and here’s why.”

So if you’re curating your Christmas table or counter this year, I hope you’ll make room for a little something sweet from a country kid chasing a dream — and trying to bring a little more magic to stores just like the ones I grew up with.

Let’s bring it full circle.