City-famous hot-chocolatier Mörk Chocolate has been named Melbourne's 2024 Small Business of the Year.
Adored by sweet tooths who flock to its four city locations, Mörk Chocolate was recognised for its outstanding dedication to sustainability, innovation, and customer and staff care at the Lord Mayor's Small Business Awards ceremony.
Husband-and-wife team Kiril Shaginov and Josefin Kernell created the business in 2012 with a mission to bring specialty and ethically sourced hot chocolate to consumers - taking inspiration from Melbourne's enviable coffee culture.
Other finalists for the prestigious award - which celebrates exceptional local traders - were pet bakery Supaw and multicultural publishing house Lingopoint.
Educational organisation STEM Birds was awarded the Small Business Innovation Award - a new category introduced in 2023.
STEM Birds was recognised for its focus on providing accessible STEM education classes to young Melburnians, with a specific focus on robotics, coding, and electronics classes.
The Lord Mayor's Small Business Awards further recognised the achievements of 62 Melbourne business owners who have reached milestones in the City of Melbourne, including:
- Ponyfish Island (10+ years) - a unique island bar and eatery underneath Evan Walker Bridge
- Godwin Charli (10+ years) - expert tailoring and garment specialists
- Kimono House (20+ years) - traditional Japanese textile experts and kimono makers, located in the Nicholas Building
- Corky Saint Clair (20+ years) - quirky and bespoke jewellery designers based in the iconic Century Building
- Victoria Market Soapbox (40+ years) - Australian handmade soap connoisseurs based at Queen Victoria Market.
The Lord Mayor's Small Business Awards acknowledge and celebrate Melbourne's longstanding independent small businesses, and the people who run them.
For a full list of this year's recipients, visit City of Melbourne.
Quotes attributable to Lord Mayor Nick Reece
"This is a sweet, sweet victory for Mörk - beloved members of Melbourne's vibrant laneway scene and the Queen Victoria Market precinct."
"Mörk has a taste for business. Its fourth location, Centre Place Cafe, opened in June and is already a go-to spot for city workers and visitors. This is testament to Kiril Shaginov and Josefin Kernell's hard work and strong business vision."
"Every minute of every day, we're thankful for all the small businesses in Melbourne. These awards give us an opportunity to truly highlight and commemorate their tireless efforts."
"Congratulations to Mörk, STEM Birds and all of the other finalists and recipients that have been recognised for their incredible efforts in making Melbourne a better place to visit and do business in."
Quotes attributable to Small Business portfolio lead Councillor Jason Chang
"Melbourne is a melting pot of vibrant and innovative small businesses - so it's important we celebrate and thank them for contributing so much to our great city."
"This year, there was a 24 per cent increase in the number of businesses recognised for achievement awards compared to last year, proving that Melbourne is a stable and thriving environment to run a business long-term."
