Mörk Chocolate, a family-owned Melbourne brand, has set its roots in a new location: Queen Victoria Market’s iconic Dairy Produce Hall.

The Melbourne-based brand has brought life back to the former cake shop in the bustling market. Owners Kiril Shaginov and Josefin Zernell, both North Melbourne residents, had often dreamt of restoring the shop, located in one of Melbourne’s most iconic locations.

Mörk began its journey as a specialty hot chocolate maker, driven by the vision of elevating hot chocolate standards in Melbourne’s finest cafes. The brand took flight with their distinct dark hot chocolate that prioritised flavour over sugar content, at a time when hot chocolate in most cafes was largely sugary.

The husband-wife duo then opened a small chocolate brew house, serving nothing but drinking chocolate. This unique experience, featuring signature drinks like their nostalgic campfire hot chocolate, began attracting visitors from near and far. The beverage, a heady blend of wood fire smoke, torched marshmallow, charcoal salt, and pure dark chocolate, rekindles childhood memories around a campfire.

Mörk’s Swedish roots led them to perfect the cinnamon bun to accompany their hot chocolate. This evolved into a sister business, supplying high-quality cakes and buns to Melbourne’s cafes, made using chocolate produced from bean to bar at their own facilities.

This growth, however, didn’t deter their dream of opening a shop at Queen Victoria Market. Late last year, after setting up a small Cacao Roastery and Chocolate Foundry in North Melbourne, their decade-long dream came to fruition.

The store, located in the heritage-rich Dairy Produce Hall, had not seen renovations in years. With meticulous planning and careful execution, Mörk transformed the corner, reinstating its authentic heritage feel and providing a genuine retail experience. Positioned at an entry point for many loyal market shoppers, Mörk aims to provide a unique shopping experience.

In the middle of the ongoing construction chaos, the team at Mörk hopes to bring something warm and positive to the evolving market. With an all hot chocolate menu and an on-site cinnamon bun bakery, the new store is set to become a beacon of comfort.

Visitors to Mörk at the Market can expect a range of intricate hot chocolate drinks and baked goods. Their drink menu includes Australian Natives spiced chocolate, Hazelnut Praline Chocolate, the signature Campfire Hot Chocolate, and newcomers like Cacao Husk Brew, made using the discarded shell of cacao beans.

Mörk also offers a range of baked goods, including freshly baked cinnamon buns and a variety of cakes and biscuits. You can also stock up on hot chocolate essentials, find gifts and morsels, as well as unique Mörk chocolate cocktails created by Loro, using discarded cacao husk and distilled chocolate.

The store is designed by interior architect Danielle Oerman. The design emphasises the space’s heritage with warm streaks of colour in timeless patterns, solid walnut wood and brass features, and original marble counters revealed after being concealed for years. The detailing was handled by Pretty Polly Designs, which added touches like the Scandinavian cinema inspired menu board and custom cabinet to showcase their cake range.

Mörk Chocolate celebrates 11 years this year, with three stores in Melbourne and operations in the UK and Japan. Their new outpost in the Dairy Produce Hall of Queen Victoria Market signifies a new chapter for the brand, cementing their place in Melbourne’s food scene.

Their QVM location is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with varying operating hours. To learn more about Mörk’s unique offering or their operations, visit the new location.