People in the chocolate business have been navigating a rocky road as relentless hikes in cocoa and sugar costs keep soaring worldwide.
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Small business owner of Orange's family-run Origin Organic Chocolate, Matt Chimenti has been making premium chocolate for the past eight years.
But he was forced to play "the big game" differently due to record-high production costs, shifting his focus to retail and adding BillyLiks to an all-new plan.
"I've really done a 180-degree-turn on the business model and changed it completely because [soaring costs were] absolutely that bad, it was just ridiculous," Mr Chimenti said.
"That's why I've paused Origin chocolate until there's more stability in the market, which gives me a bit more certainty of my price points and maintaining profitability.
"It's just what had to happen and if I didn't restructure, I wouldn't be in business right now."
Churning out pastries, gelato, and other baked goods, Mr Chimenti said staggering cocoa, sugar and production costs have been an ongoing battle without a clear win in sight.
The cocoa supply deficit is headed into a potential third year, with more than a 25 per cent price spike already in play.
Major manufacturing regions across West Africa - with Statista noting its supply of more than 70 per cent of the world's cocoa beans - are struggling to harvest in wildly wet conditions; resulting in tree diseases and rotting.
That's why people in the trade like Mr Chimenti are "keeping an eye on" the market, while getting get creative to keep their doors open and stay financially afloat.
"It makes our lives incredibly difficult when you're trying to maintain a small and profitable business," he said.
"There's definitely kickback from customers with prices, retailers are trying to get you over a barrel as well because nobody wants to absorb any more costs, so I've had to push back as well."
Mr Chimenti said while mainstream producers might pay around $8 per kilo mark for cocoa beans, it's another story for those trying to set themselves apart in the industry.
In the game of boutique chocolate manufacturing, it's a niche menu that many people want to try without the fancy price tag attached.
The freight alone just kills us and the cost of imports and duties, it just doesn't end.
- Orange's chocolate-maker, Matt Chimenti on industry's rising production and shipping costs.
"I'm not prepared to put myself in a position to be a manufacturer, but be manufacturing at a loss or with marginal profit, it just doesn't make sense," Mr Chimenti said.
"For us smaller guys with premium beans, we're paying upwards of anywhere from $12 to $35 per kilo and not only does the cocoa price continue to rise, everything else keeps going up with it.
"The freight alone just kills us and the cost of imports and duties, it just doesn't end."
Between January 2020 and April 2022, Australia's bulk shipping costs rose (amid the peak of COVID) by more than 120 per cent.
Rabobank analyst, Pia Piggot described a pinch is that is only getting tighter for those in the market.
"We've seen a lot of inflation in the chocolate category already, however, we're expecting there's more price pressure coming," she said.
"The cocoa price will continue to stay quite elevated into next year."
Orange's chocolate shop owner said he'll continue "value-adding" to his products, an all-new way of retailing by cutting out the middle man and reinventing.
"I'm stepping out of the whole sale game and just going from manufacturer-to-consumer, it's a profitable business model and it's not a bad one," he said.
"That's the game I'm in right now and that's how I'm playing it, because you've got to do what's best for your business.
"We always say there's only good days and better days, and on some of those good days, we've just got to deal with a glitch in the matrix."
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