Orillia chocolatier takes on the world
In the heart of Orillia sits a chocolate shop that is taking on the world.
DWN Chocolate submitted its Old Fashioned bar to an international competition in New York City in September, and it impressed the taste buds of a panel of judges.
"My old-fashioned chocolate bar won a bronze in the craft maker competition," said Nita.
The head chocolatier has been immersed in the confection scene in Ontario for over a decade and decided about five years ago to tackle a new challenge and open her own chocolate factory in the sunshine city.
Over those years, Nita has been perfecting her recipes to separate her products from the pack.
The award-winning Old Fashioned bar is inspired by the classic drink and has a Canadian twist.
"It starts with infusing cocoa nibs in an old-fashioned whisky cocktail which is made by BarChef in Toronto," said Nita.
"The other unique ingredient is sea buckthorn berries, so traditionally old-fashioned drinks are garnished with an orange slice, but instead, we chose to use sea buckthorn."
Since opening the DWN Chocolate brick-and-mortar store in 2021, Nita and her team have been working to fill orders and the shelves as her creamy concoctions have growing in popularity.
Nita attributes her success to her team's focus on local, naturally sourced ingredients that she says begin with the cacao bean. Her attention to detail has led her to help educate local students on the chocolate-making process.
"I'll be hosting my second class with Lakehead [University] in January, and what we do is go through the process of how chocolate is made from being a pod on a tree to a chocolate bar and of course, there will be a lot of chocolate tasting as well," said Nita.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Haida elder suing Catholic Church and priest, hopes for 'healing and reconciliation'
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Tornadoes collapse buildings and level homes in Nebraska and Iowa
Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Neb.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.
Britney Spears settles long-running legal dispute with estranged father, finally bringing ultimate end to conservatorship
Britney Spears has reached a settlement with her estranged father more than two years after the court-ordered termination of a conservatorship that had given him control of her life, their attorneys said.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.