Fiona Harrison is the founder of Chocolate On Purpose, a bushfood chocolate brand based on her family’s ancestral Wiradjuri country in central NSW. Handcrafting couverture chocolate infused with Australian native botanicals, Fiona’s work draws on tens of thousands of years of traditional knowledge to create flavours that share culture, spark curiosity and deepen respect for Indigenous wisdom.
After retraining and exploring botanical therapy, Fiona combined her interest in native botanicals with chocolate making — transforming her passion into a purpose-led business. Now, through her growing range and the development of Indigenous chocolate experiences that weave in Wiradjuri language, Fiona continues to celebrate culture, connection and the role of food in storytelling and reconciliation.
What inspired you to start Chocolate On Purpose, and what does the name mean to you?
My healing journey as a Wiradjuri woman inspired me. Discovering the powerful healing of plants changed my life, and I wanted to share that gift. Chocolate On Purpose means making chocolate with intention. To honour Culture, empower women and spark positive change by breaking the cycle of inequity in our industry’s supply chains.
What makes your chocolate unique, whether in ingredients, sourcing or process?
We blend ancient wisdom with ethical innovation. Every chocolate is a story, crafted with Fair Trade, palm oil-free chocolate and native botanicals from Indigenous growers wherever possible. As Australia’s first 100% Indigenous and female-led chocolate business, we empower Aboriginal women 45+ to reclaim their matriarchal knowledge, and support women female cacao farmers worldwide.
We reinvest at least half our profits into Indigenous and cacao farming communities, creating a circular economy that uplifts and sustains. Our sourcing helps eradicate forced child labour, raise farmers above the poverty line and protect rainforests and endangered species. We support Aboriginal carbon credits, use recyclable packaging, and repurpose chocolate production waste into our Chocolate Sprinkle product.
What do you hope people experience when they taste your chocolate for the first time?
I hope each bite sparks wonder, appreciation, understanding and helps further the journey of Reconciliation in Australia. At our heart, every chocolate is an invitation to connect, to Culture, to Country and to each other.
Is there a flavour combination that surprised you, or almost didn’t work?
Milk Chocolate with Munthari (Muntrie Berry). Munthari’s delicate berry flavour, with notes of juniper, spiced apple, pear and the aroma of cinnamon and shortbread, sounded like apple pie, so I trusted my instincts! But I was amazed by how the munthari brought a velvety, honeyed richness to the milk chocolate. It feels like molten gold in your mouth. If apple pie is delicious, then our milk chocolate with munthari is marambangbilang- super awesome!
What was an early lesson that shaped your business?
I learned that leading with heart and Yindyamarra - respect, gratitude and going slow to ensure things are done the proper way - builds trust in the marketplace and fuels my motivation to keep creating change every day.
What does it mean to share your chocolate as part of Sydney Opera House’s Uncovered program?
Sharing Chocolate On Purpose as part of Uncovered at the Sydney Opera House is deeply meaningful. Having my chocolate in the gift store amplifies my message and invites new people to connect with First Nations wisdom and creativity. It’s a chance to show visitors how our purchasing choices can address inequity in supply chains, empower Aboriginal women and protect Country. I hope each visitor leaves inspired to make a difference because together, we can create real change for our shared future.
