Melbourne food blogger causes frenzy for new $5 Coles product

A Melbourne man who started baking when left “jobless” by Covid has launched a new Coles product shoppers have snapped up.

An Australian food blogger has sparked a mad rush at Coles that saw shoppers “clear the shelves” of his latest product.

Nick Vavitis, a Melbourne-based influencer with more than 100,000 followers, launched his decadent dessert brand Choclt three years ago during Covid lockdowns.

Since then, his “outrageous” baked goods have been rolled out in more than 1000 Woolworths stores, and now he’s celebrating another huge milestone.

Choclt has just launched its first protein bar in Coles after collaborating with popular Australian fitness brand Muscle Nation.

The “Caramel Cheesecake” variation of the brand’s cult $4.50 product officially only landed in supermarkets across the country on Monday, but already shoppers are reporting stock at their local Coles stores is scarce.

An Australian food blogger has sparked a mad rush at Coles for his new product. Picture: Instagram/NickVavitis

Nick Vavitis has collaborated with fitness brand Muscle Nation to create a new flavour of its cult protein bar. Picture: Instagram/NickVavitis

“Those who have followed me from day one know the one thing I’m passionate about is cheesecake,” Mr Vavitis told news.com.au.

“It’s my favourite dessert and nearly all my Choclt desserts have some sort of caramel base. I’ve become known as the caramel guy.

“It was a no-brainer when it came to choosing the flavour I wanted to make as part of this partnership.”

Mr Vavitis said he was “honoured” when Muscle Nation owners Nathaniel Anthony and Chris Anastasi gave him the opportunity to work together after starting out as a fan of their gym advice.

“I think it’s great seeing two Australian brands come together, to have some fun, launch an awesome new product together and importantly bring some excitement to both our communities,” he said.

“What also makes it even more heart warming for me, prior to this collaboration, I started off as a fan of Muscle Nation.

“My journey with the brand has led to a close friendship Nathan and Chris. We’ve both been on a similar journey with our businesses, and coming together for this collaboration was seamless, and importantly excited us all to do it.”

The $4.50 product has only just launched but shoppers have reportedly ‘cleared the shelves’. Picture: Instagram/NickVavitis

Some have been lucky to find the bar, describing it as striking ‘gold’. Picture: Instagram

Mr Vavitis added that the launch of the Muscle Nation X Choclt protein bar was a “pinch-me moment”, stating the dessert creations had started in his kitchen with a batch of indulgent brownies.

“To think back three years ago we were making 100 brownies and I was so excited,” he said. “Now that we’ve launched 1000 Woolworths stores with our brownies and more than 830 Coles stores with my collaboration with Muscle Nation for the new Caramel Cheesecake Bar, it’s a real pinch-me moment.

“I’m grateful for the support I receive to make this happen.”

Mr Vavitis created his dessert brand Choclt during lockdown after being left ‘jobless’ by Covid. Picture: Instagram

On Instagram, Mr Vavitis said fans of Choclt had “cleared shelves” of the new bar already, expressing his thanks to everyone who had purchased the 186-calorie snack.

“I’m doing my best to get back to everyone’s messages but I just want to say a HUGE THANKS for smashing it literally 24 hours after the announcement,” he wrote.

Fans were quick to throw their support behind him, wishing the start-up many “congratulations”, as well as revealing their “struggle” to locate a bar.

“Sounds so yum, but I haven’t found one yet, will keep trying,” one wrote.

“Got the last one in my local Coles today, can’t wait to try it,” another said.

As one shared: “I’m so determined to find at least one bar!! I won’t give up.”

Coles told news.com.au it was “excited to continue collaborating with Muscle Nation to launch these new exciting products” adding the supermarket was confident “customers are going to love”.

“The Muscle Nation range at Coles continues to grow in popularity, and while there are many crowd favourites – customers can’t seem to get enough of the Cookie & Cream and White Choc Raspberry flavour protein bars,” a spokesperson said.

“This latest launch, including the caramel cheesecake protein bar, is another way that we are working hard to provide our customers with new and exciting options to choose from.”

It’s not the first time Mr Vavitis caused a frenzy with a new product launch. When the Choclt dessert range first launched into Woolworths in April last year, shoppers left shelves “empty” in record time.

Aussies went nuts for the brand’s “Caramel Biscuit Cheesecake Pie” as well as two loaded brownies – Cookies and Cream and Red Velvet – snapping the goodies up with their groceries.

He explained at the time he’d created the products during lockdown when he was “jobless” and had “no idea” what to do.

“I always loved cookies and loved brownies so I found a way to combine them with my own unique twist,” he told news.com.au.

“The cookie pie was a dessert I made at home and would always get hundreds of comments when I posted it.

“The brownies came about from my love of cookies and brownies.”