Elliott family move from Queensland to Tassie and buy Norman and Dann chocolate shop
A six-day holiday in Hobart was all it took for the Elliott family to fall in love with Tasmania, and now the family are living the sweet life as the new owners of one of the city’s iconic chocolate shops. WHY THEY MADE THE MOVE >>
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A six-day holiday in Hobart was all it took for the Elliott family to fall in love with the island state – and now the family are living the sweet life after taking over of one of the city’s iconic chocolate shops.
When Joshua Elliott saw that Salamanca chocolate shop, Norman and Dann, was for sale on the last day of their holiday, he took it as a literal sign.
After commuting between Brisbane and Hobart from November, Mr Elliott, wife Emily Renaud and son, Finn, 12, packed up their lives and made the move to Tasmania in January.
Since opening on February 13 – the day before one of the most popular day for chocolate sales: Valentines Day – Finn has lent his parents a helping hand from behind the counter.
“One of the other reasons for the move was that I thought it was a great idea to involve (Finn) in a family business, and give him a head start on business operations and investing,” Mr Elliott said.
He said he was grateful for the welcome reception from customers since taking over, and for the guidance and advice of the previous owners of the business – who often dropped by for a visit.
“Everyone we have encountered has been warm and friendly since we took over,” Mr Elliott said.
He said customers who had also heard of their move from the sunshine state had also shared their own experiences moving to the Apple isle.
Mr Elliott now shares his time between running the store, working for a Brisbane-based company running out of Hobart, and not-so-secretly taste testing their selection of sweet treats.
Mrs Renaud has taken the reins in the day-to-day running of the store, and particularly enjoys the shop’s homewares offerings.
And while the move was not without its stresses, Mr Elliott said they have found help from members of the community, and from the shared experiences from members of social media page ‘That’s it – I’m moving to Tassie’.
“It’s a real adventure as well, I saw (Tasmania) as an opportunity for our son to get more into outdoor stuff, and there’s so much around,” he said.
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Originally published as Elliott family move from Queensland to Tassie and buy Norman and Dann chocolate shop
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