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
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Video appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta border: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Anglers reel in 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off coast of Florida: 'She found my bait'
A group of fishers said it took roughly 20 minutes to reel in this 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off the coast of Florida.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
Canadian convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
Israeli military finds bodies of 3 Gaza hostages killed at music festival
Israeli military says its troops in Gaza found the bodies of three Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack, including German-Israeli Shani Louk.