10 minutes with… The Carob Kitchen owner Sophie Richards
Sophie Richards is the owner of The Carob Kitchen – the only commercial carob orchard in Australia to grow and manufacture its own carob products. She spoke to us about the chocolate alternative and the business’ growing export arm.
Let’s start with some basics for those who might not know much about carob. What is it and how is it different from chocolate?
Carob comes from the pods of the Ceratonia siliqua tree, a Mediterranean species that grows beautifully in coastal parts of Australia — including our orchard at Port Elliot. The Husk of the brown long pod is dried, roasted and milled into carob powder, for use in our Banjo Bears and Carob Bars.
Carob is often compared to chocolate, but it’s actually very different:
- Naturally sweet: Carob contains natural sugars in the pod, so it doesn’t need added sugar to taste good.
- Caffeine-free: Unlike cocoa, carob has no caffeine or theobromine, making it gentler for kids and people who avoid stimulants.
- Low bitterness: Cocoa is naturally bitter and needs sugar to balance it. Carob is mild, toasty and naturally sweet.
- Made from pods, not beans: Chocolate comes from fermented, roasted cacao beans. Carob comes from the roasted pod, giving a completely different flavour profile.
- Allergy-friendly: Carob is naturally free of gluten, dairy and nuts (ours is produced without added nasties).
Flavour-wise, carob isn’t “healthy chocolate” – it is its own thing. Think toasty, caramel, malt and slightly nutty notes rather than dark, bitter chocolate. Many people who don’t like chocolate find carob easier and gentler to enjoy.
Your family has an interesting journey with the plant, and you pivoted to making carob food products. Tell me about that process, the decision and whether it paid off?
Our carob story really started with the trees. We first planted the orchard over 30 years ago, with the idea of supplying raw carob pods for the sale of the seed, which is found on the inside of the pod and used to produce a natural food thickening agent. It didn’t take long to realise there was far more value and potential in turning the pods into quality carob finished food products.
Carob is incredibly versatile, but it’s also misunderstood. Most people had only ever tasted old-fashioned, over-processed carob from decades ago. We knew the quality could be so much better, especially using the varieties of carob we were growing at Port Elliot. Together with specialised roasting style and premium crafting use real Cocoa Butter, The Carob Kitchen Banjo Bear and Bar Range was released in 2013.
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Something fun, simple and kid-friendly quickly became a following in health food stores, independent supermarkets and grocers.
This success allowed us to build a unique Australian brand, add value to every pod we grow, employ local people, and show consumers that carob can be delicious when it’s grown and processed with care.
The orchard is still the heart of it all, but the business now reaches far beyond the farm gate.
What sort of success has The Carob Kitchen had in Australia?
The Carob Kitchen has grown from a family orchard on the coast at Port Elliot into one of Australia’s most recognisable carob brands. We’ve helped shift carob from a niche “health food” ingredient into a modern, mainstream pantry staple by focusing on quality, flavour and Australian provenance. Being one of the first growers to invest in a large-scale, purpose-planted carob orchard, we’ve played a genuine pioneering role — not just growing the pods, but building a full value-added model – harvesting, roasting, milling and turning carob into finished products.
Our Banjo Bears, bars and powders have helped introduce a new generation to good-quality carob, and you’ll now find them in supermarkets, wholefood stores and independent retailers across the country.
The success has come from doing things properly from the ground up — nurturing the orchard, controlling our processing, and developing products that show what Australian carob can truly taste like. In doing so, we’ve helped put Australian-grown carob on the map and established a foundation for a thriving, long-term local industry.
How about overseas?
Export is fast becoming a key strategy for The Carob Kitchen. As one of the few vertically integrated carob producers in the world growing, processing and manufacturing in Australia, we’re able to offer consistent quality and full traceability, which overseas buyers value highly.
Our products now reach customers in New Zealand, Japan, the Middle East and the United States, where Australian-made foods carry a strong reputation for safety, cleanliness and premium standards.
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Rising global interest in caffeine-free, allergen-friendly and naturally sweet confectionery has also helped open doors, particularly for our Banjo Bears and bar range. In markets where carob is still relatively unknown, our orchard-to-bar story gives us a clear point of difference and positions Australia as a leader in modern carob production. Export continues to grow year on year, and it’s become a major pillar of our long-term strategy.
You were previously in the wine industry. What did you take from that sector in your new role?
I worked in the wine industry after university, both in the cellar and then later moved into marketing and sales for large, medium and small family-owned wineries. This was a great industry with so much opportunity to learn about producing a saleable product from vine to bottle. A lot of sweat, tears and passion go into every bottle just like a lot of sweat, tears and passion go into every Banjo. With both an agricultural and sales and marketing role, it aligns with growing, making and selling carob.
Are you noticing an increase in people looking for cocoa products?
Yes, cocoa-based product categories are still growing and remain popular, but there is a growing interest and opportunity for alternative ingredients (such as carob) which can serve different consumer needs (caffeine-free, allergen-friendly, unique flavour).
Further to this, the global cocoa-bean supply is under pressure (adverse weather, labour challenges) and prices are up which has meant a 30 per cent increase in chocolate prices on our shelves.
Unfortunately, The Carob Kitchen is not sheltered from this as we use the cocoa fat in our carob Bears and Bars to give a smooth mouthfeel.
What’s your market? Is it just health-conscious consumers or is that changing too?
When we first started, most of the interest came from health-conscious shoppers — people looking for caffeine-free treats for their kids, or alternatives to chocolate that were naturally sweet and allergy-friendly. That audience is still important to us, but the market has broadened.
What we’re seeing now is a much more diverse mix of customers:
- Families who want a cleaner, gentler option for lunchboxes and after-school snacks.
- Consumers with dietary needs — from dairy-free and gluten-free to people avoiding caffeine or theobromine.
- Foodies and home bakers discovering carob for its flavour, not just its health profile.
- Retailers looking for unique, Australian-made products that stand out from the big confectionery brands.
Carob isn’t seen as a “substitute” anymore — it’s becoming its own category. As people taste good-quality, Australian-grown carob, they realise it’s not trying to be chocolate. It’s a toasty, naturally sweet ingredient with its own flavour and its own loyal following.
So yes, the market has widened. Health-conscious shoppers were the early adopters, but today our audience is anyone who wants a tasty, feel-good treat made from real ingredients. And that shift has helped the category grow far beyond the health-food niche.
