Purdy’s chocolatier takes top truffle honours

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Purdy's chocolatier takes top truffle honours
Purdy's Chocolates' head chocolatier, Gary Mitchell, was awarded the top prize for best truffle in the professional baking competition at Canada's Baking and Sweets Show.

October 7, 2011, Vancouver – Purdy's Chocolates' head chocolatier, Gary
Mitchell, was awarded the top prize for best truffle in the professional
baking competition at Canada's Baking and Sweets Show.

The competition was judged by a celebrity guest panel and presented by Buddy Valastro (TLC's "Cake Boss") at the International Centre in Mississauga Sept. 30 to Oct 2.

Mitchell's winning entry was a savoury brie cheese and fig truffle, a recipe he has been developing for over a year. The truffle is crafted with triple cream brie cheese, fresh basil and lemon zest and topped with fig. It is then hand dipped in a blend of three different dark chocolates and adorned with a cocoa butter transfer.

"There were some great chocolatiers at the Baking and Sweets Show and I feel very honored to have won the competition" said Mitchell. "Especially with this select group of judges being some of the top people in the industry: Buddy the Cake Boss Valastro, Erin Bolger the Happy Baker and renowned cake decorator, Geraldine Randlesome. What a great feeling to have these top judges select your creation as being the best of the best."

"I was so excited I ran across the stage with my hands in the air," he added.

In addition to the competition, Mitchell hosted a series of demonstrations throughout the weekend. He shared not only his adoration for chocolate, but the knowledge he's garnered as a chocolatier with over 20 years of experience in the baking industry. Attendees got a sneak peak into how Mitchell creates current favourites: Purdy's Ice Wine Truffle, the 70 per cent Dark Chocolate Goji Berry Bar, and his newest most decadent creation, Turona.

"During my visit to Ontario and Canada's Baking and Sweets Show, I met some wonderful people and was sincerely touched by all the great comments, especially on my newest chocolate piece, the Turona which had just debuted in Purdy's Shops last month," said Mitchell.

There are no current plans for Purdy's Chocolates to introduce the winning truffle piece in shops.

"This is only one out of over the 100 new chocolate pieces I create every year," said Mitchell. "I can't wait to start experimenting plenty more and get ready for next year's competition."