How We Reimagined Brownies in Australia: A Founder’s Perspective

When we started Dello Mano in 2006, we set out to redefine the history of brownies in Australia by crafting handmade luxury brownies™ that would elevate this humble treat to a new level of indulgence. At that time, brownies were often overlooked—dry, mass-produced, and rarely celebrated as a premium gift. 

Our mission was to revive the rich tradition of brownies, combining artisanal craftsmanship with high-quality ingredients to create a lasting legacy of handmade luxury in every bite.

This is our story of how we helped shift the history of brownies in Australia, one small batch at a time.

The idea began far from Australia in a vast exhibition hall in Turin, Italy, and along the quiet backstreets of regional villages where food wasn’t just eaten, it was shared.

At the time, Bien and I were active members of the Slow Food Movement in Brisbane, drawn to its belief in food that was good, clean, and fair. In 2004, we decided to take our two young daughters to the movement’s global event, Salone del Gusto an extraordinary gathering of food artisans, held every two years in Turin.

It was like entering another world.

Producers from every corner of the globe stood proudly behind their stalls, cheesemakers, chocolatiers, bakers, all telling stories of land, tradition, and time. Each offering felt personal. Thoughtful. There was reverence in how people spoke about ingredients, and a sense of care in how they served you. It wasn’t just food. It had meaning.

Dello Mano foundering daughters with an Italian chef at Salone del Gusto, Turin inspired the family's handmade brownie journey

We left Salone del Gusto feeling inspired. But it was what came after that, truly shaped us.

We continued our trip, travelling through Italy’s towns and countryside. And what we noticed again and again was how food artisans treated their work not as a commodity, but as a gift. Whether it was a small bakery, a butcher, or a café, there was a quiet beauty in how the customer and artisan interacted. It wasn’t transactional. It was a moment of shared humanity.

That realisation became our why.

Explore how our handmade mission still shapes us in Why Handmade Food Is the New Luxury.

We came home with a new vision: we wanted to build a small business where humanity was the central player. Where food wasn’t rushed or diluted. Where each product was made slowly, with care, and offered as an experience, not just a product. Something people could feel.

Eventually, we landed on brownies.  It’s a moment we often reflect on in our Brownie Love Story, a turning point that changed everything.

Brownies, at that time, had little fanfare in Australia. They weren’t “giftable.” They weren’t “premium.” But that was part of the appeal.

We weren’t trying to copy a trend. We were trying to create something new.

"We left the corporate world to return to handmade values. See why we believe that’s where true luxury lies." 

Deb + Bien Peralta

To us, brownies had untapped emotional potential. We set out to craft what we hoped would become known as the best brownies in Australia: nostalgic yet elevated, a gift that felt as luxurious as it tasted. Everyone had a brownie memory, but few had experienced one truly well-made. So we set out to change that. We tested recipes obsessively, refining our signature brownie with rich Belgian chocolate, real butter, and a fudgy texture that balanced indulgence with refinement.

We wrapped each piece in foil not only for freshness but to evoke a sense of care, like unwrapping a tiny gift.

We didn’t start with a shopfront. We didn’t have investors. What we had was a rented commercial kitchen at the Taringa Soccer Club and a belief in what we were doing.

Every night, after putting our daughters to bed, we packed them up in the car, laid out makeshift beds beside the kitchen ovens, and baked until the early hours. It was quiet. Exhausting. Sometimes exhilarating. Other times, it's nerve-wracking.

Then we’d show up at the Brisbane Powerhouse markets, brownies in hand. We told everyone who came by about our mission to change how people thought about this simple square of chocolate.

Bit by bit, word spread. People would come back saying, “That was the best brownie I’ve ever tasted.” Some would gift them. Others would ask if we catered weddings. And slowly, we began to see a shift: the brownie wasn’t just a treat anymore, it was becoming a statement.

Each Dello Mano brownie is handmade in small batches, wrapped in our signature foil — a gift of care, flavour, and luxury

Looking back, I think part of our success was timing, and part of it was heart.

Australians were becoming more aware of food quality. Shows like MasterChef were sparking an interest in ingredients and provenance. People were craving stories behind their food. And in that cultural shift, the brownie so often mass-produced and overlooked became our canvas.

We weren’t just selling chocolate. We were selling care.

And Australians responded.

Soon, people began saying they’d finally found the best brownies in Australia, a compliment that kept fuelling our small-batch mission

We introduced brownie gift boxes, seasonal flavours, and elegant packaging. Soon we were supplying premium hotels, galleries, luxury boutiques even offering personalised brownies for events and weddings.

One florist said, “I didn’t think I liked brownies until I tried yours.” That sentiment was shared by many. People realised what a brownie could be when it was made with intention.

In 2014, our brownies were chosen as an official gift for world leaders at the G20 Summit held in Brisbane.

For a small family business that started at the markets, this was a surreal moment. Our handmade brownies, wrapped just as they always had been, were being enjoyed by presidents, prime ministers, and dignitaries.

It felt like a quiet kind of victory.

We had always believed in the luxury of handmade food. And here we were, offering our brownies on the world stage, representing not just our brand, but a broader message: that Australia had something special to say through its food artisans.

At the 2014 G20 Summit in Brisbane, Dello Mano brownies were spotlighted by the Sydney Morning Herald as a standout gift, described as a ‘tiny gold foil packet of heaven

Nearly two decades later, we’re still making our brownies by hand. We still use our own recipes. We still taste every batch.

We’ve grown, but our ethos hasn’t changed.

We’re often asked why we don’t “scale up” production or automate. The answer is simple: because the taste would change. The texture would shift. The soul would be gone.

Handmade isn’t a trend for us. It’s the foundation. It’s what gives our food meaning.

As trends shift and attention spans shrink, we’re reminded daily that people are still hungry for something real.

They want food that feels like it was made for them. That’s what we set out to create with our brownies: something that felt both generous and personal. And that’s what we continue to offer today.

We often hear from customers who’ve been with us since the beginning. They say, “Your brownies still taste exactly the same.” And we take that as the highest compliment.

When people today search for brownie delivery or gifts in Australia, they’ll find dozens of options: gift boxes, delivery services, and artisanal flavours. But back in 2006, that didn’t exist.

We didn’t just build a business. We helped build a category. And in doing so, Dello Mano became known for the handmade brownie that redefined gifting in Australia, rich in flavour, steeped in care, and recognised nationwide.

The history of brownies in Australia now includes gifting moments, luxury partnerships, and national delivery, all things we pioneered with Dello Mano. If you’re curious about the original handmade brownie that started it all in Brisbane, read the full story here.

Today, when people search for the best brownies in Australia, we’re proud that Dello Mano remains the original handmade name behind the movement.

Looking for Australia’s best brownies today?

👉 See our 2025 guide to the top brownie gifts and delivery options

"We didn’t start Dello Mano because brownies were popular. We started because they weren’t, and that made them worth fighting for. Every brand has a heartbeat. Ours is the belief that handmade food can still move people. And for nearly 20 years, that’s exactly what our brownies have done.

We didn’t just build a business. We created a category, one that today shapes how people think about the best brownies in Australia.

Deb & Bien Peralta