Panny’s Phillip Island Chocolate Factory is a family-run attraction that brings together chocolate production, interactive experiences, a café, and a retail shop all under one roof. Operating from its current location since 2005, it is one of the first attractions visitors see when entering Phillip Island.
Founded by Panny, whose passion for chocolate helped shape the business from the beginning, the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory celebrates all things chocolate in a fun and engaging environment for visitors of all ages. Guests can explore Panny’s Amazing World of Chocolate tour, featuring interactive chocolate displays, educational exhibits, giant chocolate sculptures, and insights into the chocolate-making process. Visitors can also enjoy the café and browse a wide range of chocolates and sweet treats available in the shop separately from the tour.
Recent expansions to the factory have introduced a larger and more modern chocolate production area, giving visitors further insight into both handcrafted chocolate making and modern chocolate production machinery. As part of Panny’s Amazing World of Chocolate tour, the expanded facility allows guests to explore more of the chocolate-making process alongside the interactive attractions.
Our Story
Founded by Kondanapanny Letchumanan, known as Panny, the journey began in Malaysia, where he studied engineering before building a career managing a palm oil mill and later cocoa and coconut plantations across Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. Working within these industries over many years sparked a strong interest in food production, manufacturing, and creating value from raw ingredients — experiences that would later help shape the family’s chocolate business.
After relocating to Australia with his family, Panny entered the chocolate industry on the Gold Coast more than 26 years ago. In 2000, Panny purchased a small chocolate factory in Kirra before later relocating the business to Currumbin. Through growing customer demand, continual reinvestment, and years of hard work, the foundations were laid for what would eventually become Panny’s Phillip Island Chocolate Factory.
In 2005, the business relocated to Phillip Island, initially operating a small café while working towards establishing the chocolate factory. Panny’s wife, Prema, has been instrumental in helping build and grow the family business over the years, with the business always remaining strongly family-oriented. As the children grew up, they spent weekends, school holidays, and busy periods helping throughout the business.
During the early years, Panny introduced his Malaysian-Indian curries to the café menu, which became well known among locals and visitors and helped support the business while the chocolate factory was being established.
Chocolate production officially began in 2006 as a small handmade operation that steadily expanded over time. Through continual renovations, reinvestment, and family involvement, the business gradually evolved into one of Phillip Island’s unique family attractions, combining chocolate production, interactive experiences, café dining, retail, and family entertainment.
In 2022, construction began on a major 2,300 square metre extension, leading to the opening of a new chocolate production facility in 2024. While many chocolates are still handmade, the expanded factory now combines traditional handcrafted chocolate making with modern production methods and machinery.
Today, Panny’s Phillip Island Chocolate Factory remains proudly family-owned and operated, with family members continuing to play an active role across many areas of the business as it continues to grow as one of Phillip Island’s unique visitor destinations.
