Jelly Modern Doughnuts wins Food Network battle

April 19, 2013, Calgary – It was Jelly on top in the battle for donut supremacy.
Calgary’s Jelly Modern Doughnuts became the first Canadian shop to win
“Donut Showdown” on Food Network Canada’s sizzling new competition
series. A $10,000 prize and the pride of donut domination was awarded to
the team of pastry chef Grayson Shermon and Jelly co-owner Rosanne
Tripathy, who served as assistant.
 

It
was a Bollywood meets Hollywood variation of Jelly’s Salted Caramel donut that did the trick in the final showdown.
Featuring chili and cumin dusted popcorn and cashews, topped with deep
fried carrot curls, the combination clearly caught the imagination of
the celebrity judges.

In
each episode of the 30-minute show, which premiered April 2, three of
the best donut makers from across North America compete in a series of
challenges that are judged by an all-star panel. Shermon faced off against South Carolina’s Allison of Glazed and Adam of
Brooklyn’s vegan food truck Cinnamon Snail. Judges making the culinary
cut included Food Network Canada chef David Rocco, culinary expert
Maggie McKeown of Recipe to Riches and popular Toronto restaurateur
Zane Caplansky.

The
first elimination round required teams to make impromptu batches
featuring three unexpected ingredients. Simple
ingredients such as chocolate or marshmallow were nowhere to be found.

“For
my dozen cake donuts, I selected maple sugar, Dijon mustard, and port
wine for a sexy take on sweet and savoury,” explains Shermon. The unique
twist was enough to push team Jelly into the finals, where six dozen
glazed donuts of three different types were demanded in two hours,
celebrating the theme of Bollywood.

Established
in 2011 by sister co-owners Rita and Rosanne Tripathy, Jelly Modern
Doughnut is billed as “Canada’s original gourmet doughnut bakery.” It
rocketed to attention with such natural-ingredient creations as Maple
Bacon, innovations like the donut sandwich, and weekly variations based
on customer suggestions and social media trends.

The
savvy sisters also have a knack for getting their donuts into the hands
of Oprah Winfrey and visiting royalty William and Kate.

"This
competition presented a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sure, with a
little bit of drama thrown in to keep life exciting,” says Rosanne.
“We feel privilege in competing with such amazing doughnut makers!”

“The
real prize was to represent the dynamic culinary culture of Calgary,”
added Shermon. “The city is on fire when it comes to great, food, drink
and culture.”

The
$10,000 prize helps Jelly Modern Doughnut's new Toronto shop, opening
soon on College Street. Samples of the shop’s Bollywood-winning
doughnuts will be delivered to mystery locations and businesses next
week.

Bakers Journal had the chance to chat with Rosanne in our April 2013 cover story. Be sure to check it out here!