Australia’s biggest independently owned chocolate-maker Darrell Lea could fall into foreign hands, with four international and local players emerging as frontrunners to buy the troubled confectioner.

Darrell Lea’s administrators on Friday said they were in advanced negotiations with four parties interested in buying the troubled chocolate business.

Administrator Mark Robinson hopes a firm offer will be made within the next fortnight.

He is currently sifting through expressions of interest from 90 parties made up of trade, strategic, local and offshore interests.

Mr Robinson said four of the parties, which were involved in sale talks before Darrell Lea went into voluntary administration 10 days ago, were at a more advanced level of talks.

“They’re on the fast track,” Mr Robinson said after a creditors meeting in Sydney.

“They’re the most advanced.”

He revealed that while extensive resources had been funnelled into assessing 90 indications of interest, there were only around 15 to 20 credible prospects.

“We would hope that in about 10 days time we would get indications in their interest in the whole business or parts of the business,” Mr Robinson said.

He is confident that every potential purchaser has been identified, with potential buyers being divided into groups of “hot prospects” and “less credible prospects”.

Mr Robinson was unable to confirm whether any firm offers had been made for Darrell Lea or if the 85-year-old family-owned company would be broken up.

Darrell Lea would continue to trade as normal and employees would still be paid their ordinary wages.

Mr Robinson was also unable to say how much Darrell Lea owed its creditors, the value of its assets or how many of the company’s 700 workers would lose their jobs.

And he could not confirm reports that employees had been told they had four to five weeks before the company would be placed in liquidation.

“I didn’t personally tell them that,” he said.

Meanwhile, Darrell Lea has doubled its sales and meet its trading expectations since it went into administration.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union’s food and confectionary division secretary Jennifer Dowell said customers had helped the company’s 700 workers facing redundancy.

“Extra sales is what’s generating income which is going to the administrator to pay their wages and to keep the factory open,” she told reporters.

Administrators PPB Advisory were appointed to Darrell Lea on July 10 to help prepare the struggling company for sale.

A second creditors’ meeting is expected be held once the business is sold.

The company is 100 per cent owned by the Lea family who established it in 1927.