How to Tell If Something Is Small Batch, Or Just Says It Is

How to Spot True Artisan Brownies and Why It Matters

“Small batch” is everywhere. It’s printed on jars, written into captions, and whispered in product descriptions. But in a world where mass production is dressed in handmade language, how do you know if something truly is small batch, or if it’s just using the words?

At Dello Mano, we’ve baked our luxury brownies by hand for over 18 years. We’ve seen trends come and go, but we’ve stayed steady: making less, with more care, because we believe real food deserves it. Learn more about our commitment to true small batch baking in our Brownie article.”

People across Australia return again and again for Dello Mano's luxury brownies, handcrafted to impress. If you value authenticity, quality, and food with soul, here’s how to tell if something is genuinely small batch.

What Does Small Batch Really Mean?

Small batch isn’t just about quantity. It’s a philosophy. A slower, more deliberate way of creating, often with the founders or artisans closely involved in every step. 

It usually means:

• Limited kitchen runs

• Hands-on processes, not just marketing slogans

• High-quality, often local or premium ingredients

• A commitment to quality over growth

• A clear story and real people behind the product

At Dello Mano, while we’re not baking every tray ourselves anymore, we’re still in the kitchen every day working with chefs, checking batter, and protecting the quality of every brownie that leaves the door.

🌠 Founder’s Note:
“Recently, with egg supply tight, Bien and I have literally been driving across Brisbane collecting trays of eggs ourselves just to keep baking. That’s the kind of work that doesn’t make it to Instagram but it’s the heart of small batch.”

7 Ways to Tell If It’s Truly Small Batch

1. Is the Founder Still Involved?

Real small batch businesses don’t step away from the process. Even if they grow, the people who built the brand stay close.

• Do you see signs they’re in the kitchen, workshop, or on the floor?

• Are they training the team? Tasting products? Making decisions beyond marketing?

🌠 At Dello Mano:
We work with all our team members not just in the recipe, but in the feel, the texture, and the rhythm of the kitchen. That involvement makes small batch.

2. Do They Share the Hard Parts?

Small batch is hard. There’s nothing mass-produced about sourcing your own eggs, hand-pouring thick batter, or managing quality at every step.

• Have they shared the real world and what goes wrong, not just what looks pretty?

• Do they acknowledge the challenges of doing things the long way?

🌠 Real Moment:
When our chocolate delivery is delayed or butter is in short supply, we don't cut corners. We wait, or we work around but we never compromise.

3. Is the Ingredient List Honest and Simple?

Look at the label.

• Are the ingredients short, recognisable, and real?

• Are there additives, preservatives, or shelf-life extenders?

• Is there evidence of generosity real butter, premium chocolate, whole ingredients?

At Dello Mano, we use Belgian chocolate and real butter in generous amounts as the recipe calls for these ingredients. Our brownies are dense and rich, giving them an excellent shelf life without artificial preservatives. A thinner, cheaper, more aerated product often needs additives to survive. Ours doesn’t.

4. Is the Process Still Manual Where It Matters?

Mass producers use machinery to speed things up. Not a problem if that's the goal but it often comes at the cost of texture, taste, and integrity.

• Is batter still poured by hand?

• Are products portioned or finished manually?

• Does the process prioritise product quality over production speed?

🌠 Founder’s Note:
“We could pump our brownie batter into trays. But it’s so thick rich with chocolate and butter that doing so would require changing the recipe. That’s not an option. So we hand-fill every tray, with a scale, every time.”

We don’t automate batter filling the integrity of our recipe comes first.

5. Are They Scaling Slowly and Deliberately?

Growth is a goal for many businesses, including ours. But in the world of small batch, how you grow matters.

True small batch brands grow with care. They consider what might be lost if something is outsourced, simplified, or rushed. They ask: Can we do this without compromising our values?

So if a brand suddenly appears everywhere while also claiming small batch, it’s fair to ask how they’re doing it.

🌠 Insight:
We’re not against growth. We just believe in growing with intention. We’ve turned down faster paths when they risked compromising our process. That’s not a judgement it’s a choice we’ve made to protect what small batch means to us.

6. Do They Tell You Why They Started?

Most real small batch brands begin from a deeply personal place.

• A gap they couldn’t find in the market

• A problem they wanted to solve slowly and well

If their origin story feels vague or purely commercial, it might be.

🌠 Dello Mano Story:
We started with no roadmap. We invented the Australian luxury brownie gift category. Our stall at the Brisbane markets was built on grit, generosity, and chocolate. That hasn’t changed.

7. Is It Real, Or Just Designed to Look That Way?

Social media has made it easier than ever to look small batch. A well-edited social media account showing someone stirring batter doesn’t always show what’s happening behind the scenes.

There’s nothing wrong with using social media well. But it’s worth asking:

• Is the founder present in the real work, or just the camera?

• Has the pace of growth made that involvement impossible?

• Is the product built on a lived process or on performance?

🌠 Founder’s Insight:
“We started Dello Mano because we believed food had lost its realness. And now, we feel the need to protect it. This isn’t about gatekeeping or resisting change, it’s about standing for the people and values that small batch was built on. Real food. Real effort. Real presence.”

Why It Matters

Want to know what truly defines handmade? Read our article: Why Handmade Food Is the New Luxury.

When you choose real small batch, you support:

• Craft over convenience

• Ingredients that speak for themselves

• Businesses that prioritise realness over reach

You’re not just buying food. You’re buying a philosophy one that values real. 

Browse all our handmade brownie flavours

Taste the Difference Real Small Batch Makes

At Dello Mano, we’ve handcrafted brownies since 2006 not because it’s easy, but because it matters. Every batch is made with real ingredients, real care, and real presence.

Shop our handmade brownie gift range and experience what authentic small batch baking truly tastes like.

Explore More

• Why Small Batch Baking Makes a Big Difference

• Why handmade food is the new luxury

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does “small batch” mean in baking?

A: Small batch baking means making products in limited quantities with hands-on involvement. It’s about quality, not speed, often with founders and artisans still involved in the process. At Dello Mano, that means hand-filling trays, working with our chefs daily, and never cutting corners for scale.

Q: How can I tell if a product is truly small batch?

A: Look for real signs: founders still in the kitchen, honest ingredients, slow growth, and stories that include the hard parts, not just polished marketing. If the process is manual and the story is grounded in effort, it’s more likely authentic.

Q: Why is a small batch important for brownies?

A: Texture, taste, and quality depend on how the brownie is made. At Dello Mano, we know that hand-folded batter and real butter create a richer result but only if you don’t rush it. Small batch allows for this kind of control and care.

Q: Does “small batch” guarantee better quality?

A: Not always, but it increases the chances. Small batch gives room for higher-quality ingredients and craftsmanship. Still, it depends on the people behind it. At Dello Mano, small batch is a commitment we live every day, not just a slogan.

Q: What makes Dello Mano’s brownies genuinely small batch?

A: We invented the luxury brownie gift space in Australia and have been baking by hand since 2006. From hand-filling trays to ribboning each gift box, our process is still grounded in presence, care, and founders working alongside our team every day. We still make more than someone would in their home kitchen, our batches are scaled but every batch is singular, theres no continuous process line and every batch is treated as an individual..