Many of our older readers remember the times when Wladislaw Pulkownik's confectionery and bakery in Paddington was very popular in Sydney. Here one could buy some of the best chocolates in town.
The famous Pulkownik's chocolate in Sydney
Comments
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Elizabeth 10 months ago
I am so pleased to have found and read the story of Wladislaw Pulkownik's life and family. My family was of a similar era. My father, Wladyslaw Karn (Karnacewicz) was also from Harbin and my Russian mother, Lydia, from Shanghai. They had to leave China in 1951 when the Communist's came through and came to Sydney. As a little girl in the 60s, we would "visit" Uncle Vladek in the Paddington shop. My father and Uncle Vladek would sit in the back of the shop sharing Vodka, while I, and sometimes my older brother, would roam around the shop smelling and sometimes tasting the chocolate mix in the vats. We always ordered and picked up our Russian Easter Cake - Kulich from Uncle Vladek, who made the best ones in the world. That is what I miss the most! Those wonderful Kulich. Over the years, I have made Kulich from other recipes and cannot match Pulkownik's ones. I would love to have Uncle Vladek's Kulich recipe.
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jeff smith 1 year ago
I remember the shop in Paddington in the early 1970s. Around 1980 a Sydney newspaper ran a big story saying the owner was exploiting children by getting them to deliver chocolates to houses on their bicycles, and that they should be paid as young adults and it was improper slave labour etc. The owner replied in the paper that the kids got pocket money after school and homeowners gave them tips. He was doing it as a kindness, for everyone, but from now on, there would be no more free deliveries. People could pick them up themselves.
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Con. Drozdovskii 1 year ago
A great story of a worthy life. A touch of goodness and sanity in this rapidly becoming insane world.
My parents used to be Pulkownik customers in Harbin and just loved it when the chocolates became available in D.J.s in Brisbane. A legacy that will always be rememb
ered with a smile. Thank you for bringing it to your readers. -
kouzmin 1 year ago
Сегодня в редакцию позвонил австралиец и спросил, можно ли сегодня купить шоколад Пулковника где-то в Сиднее? Этот человек помнит, какой прекрасный шоколад это был. К сожалению, сейчас купить нельзя уже, но какая прекрасная рекомендация этому знаменитому шоколаду!
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alison mason 1 year ago
I used to buy these in the 1980s - the best chocolates ever. I have been wondering about Paddington Chocolates' history for a long time. Thank you
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Kaitlyn Gordon 1 year ago
He is my great grandfather!
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Kelly 2 years ago
The shop was lovely, in the early 1970s I worked as a cash register tech & serviced his regularly… I remember him as a real gentleman… I was amazed by the big copper vat full of chocolate.
My Lynnie(RIP) loved the Creme De Menthe. Its a shame that kind of quality hand made products are no longer available.
Kelly. -
Samuel Jorgensen 2 years ago
I remember Wladislaw Pulkownik's chocolates as a very young child in the 80s. My father Peter Jorgensen helped Wladislaw by engineering a machine to wrap the individual chocolates. I seem to remember visiting the factory when I was very, very young. At home there were always rolls of unused chocolate wrappers!
My dad had immense respect for Wladislaw and the broader Polish and Russian community in Sydney, he himself was an immigrant from Denmark back in the 60s.
Thank you for publishing this little bit of history!
PS I think I met Ludmila when she came to my dad's 70th birthday with her husband Steen Andersen! -
P de San Miguel 2 years ago
A beautiful story! I am so glad to have found it!
Paddington Chocolates have been a favourite in our family for over 30 years! I was very disappointed to hear when they were no longer available.
In the early 1970’s my mother would pick up several boxes for a friend in Orange who ran a gift shop, and deliver them on our return home. I recall on one occasion when we called to collect the order, they were not quite ready! We sat on stools in the tiny dark shop come factory in Paddington and waited. While Mr P worked he would touch his finger on the top to see if the chocolates were set. All these chocolates were then given to us children to eat!!
Years later when I moved to Sydney and was a uni student at Sydney Uni , I stumbled upon the new shop in Camperdown. We were delighted that bags of seconds were available for sale, as that was more than we could afford on student budgets! Many bags of liquor seconds were consumed whenever we could afford them.
After moving to Brisbane I discovered David Jones stocked these wonderful chocolates, a special treat for birthdays, Christmas and any occasion.
Please find someone to honour this wonderful chocolate tradition and allow the world to once again experience Paddington Chocolates! There is none to compare!
Thankyou for sharing your family’s story!-
Catherine 1 year ago
Thank you for your memories.
My sister was an art student at east Sydney tech in the late sixties/early 70s. She introduced us to those beautiful chocolates.
They were very special, knowing they were hand made AND so delicious!
Have never found their equal.
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Mandy 3 years ago
I just had a craving for these amazing chocolates. We’d buy them from the factory in Camperdown. Yes, you could smell the rum down the street. I wish his children would consider making the chocolates again with the fabulous “family” recipe. Nobody has ever been able to come close to the taste!
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Stefanie 3 years ago
Here I am in Dec, 2021, looking up Russian Chocolates Paddington. The taste & smoothness was never lost in memory & I wanted to buy some for a very special person. Hoping that the recipe had lived on.
So lovely to read Mr Pulkownik's journey & sad his chocolate journey ended. -
Jennifer Carter 3 years ago
Still the most beautiful chocolates I have ever had
The whole street smelled of rum and chocolate delicious -
Robert Taylor 3 years ago
It was great to read the history of Wladislaw Pulkownik and his wonderful chocolates. I found his shop in Paddington back in the early 70's. What great chocolates especially the Rum flavor. I spent man happy years buying these precious chocolates. I left Australia in 2001 and only just returned. I was trying to find these great chocolates to share with my grand daughters. So sorry to hear that this will now never happen. A great memory will never be lost but sadly can not be given to the next gerneration.
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Kate 4 years ago
I used to go to the factory shop in Salisbury Rd Camperdown. The chocolates were in big barrels and sampling was allowed! My fervent hope is that someone starts to make the again
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Nicolette 4 years ago
We are becoming fewer in number but I'm sure thousands of Sydneysiders and other Australians remember Paddington Chocolates. My grandmother always had a bag, hidden at the back of the cupboard in Lindfield for obvious reasons. My grandfather frequented inner Sydney, and could afford your chocolates. Growing up, I dreamed of this exotic place, Paddington, and of their chocolates with such beautiful, colourful wrappers. A chuckle now about employing kids to wrap them. I don't know how it could be profitable....surely much was eaten. Or, perhaps it served as a deterrent to chocolate cravings for those children. Either way, it seems they loved working for Mr Pulkownik. My dreams came true in 1985 when I landed a well paid job and could afford all the Paddingtons my taste buds wished for !
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Наталия Самохина 4 years ago
Какая чудесная, добрая история! Напомнила мне о моем собственном детстве и любимых конфетах "Песни Кольцова" и "Воронежские". Как жаль, что потомкам Русского Короля Шоколада не удалось сохранить и продолжить семейное дело. Но самое главное, что его имя не забыто. Теперь я знаю, где в Сиднее раньше находилась лучшая в городе кондитерская Пулковника. Спасибо автору!
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Яков Смагаринский 4 years ago
Настоящий Пулковник!!!