Windsor’s Chocolate Lover’s Brunch delights

Some of Windsor’s top bakeries competed in the 19th Annual Chocolate Lover’s Brunch held at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts.

The brunch on March 5 was run by the VON (Victorian Order of Nurses) Windsor-Essex and, this year, helped it celebrate its 90th anniversary.

The tickets were $70 per person for a decadent brunch prepared by the chefs at the Centre for the Arts, but the highlight was the “Battle of the Bakeries.”

Fund development coordinator Sharon Bevington said this year saw 250 guests and four bakeries competing for best chocolate desert, including Licia Ruby, The Little White Kitchen Baking Co., Sugar Spoon Bake Shop and Tasty Traditions Treats.

“We did a little chocolate tart, so inside there’s a little chocolate creamer, we have some passion fruit crumble on top, there’s pistachio and mango flavour in there as well and we are going to finish it off  with a chocolate Chantilly.  So lots of chocolate but a little passion fruit and mango to give it a little tartness to the dessert,” said Johnny Oran, owner of Licia Ruby.

“This is my first time to take part in this. I think it’s  wonderful, it’s great that everybody comes together. We bring out the best of what we can do. So that just a wonderful opportunity for even others to get to know the local bake shops and support each other,” said Sabrina Ritorto, one of the guests.

Fund-A-Need is an initiative started at the 2014 Chocolate Lover’s Brunch that focuses on specific needs.

This event “raises money to help VON Windsor-Essex support the whole family, build healthy communities and use innovation and education to help our clients be safe and independent in their homes.”

Bevington said last year the event raised over $10,000 and this year they are hoping to raised between $10,000-15,000.

At the end of the event, a table of judges chose Licia Ruby’s creation as their favourite.

Guests were also given the opportunity to vote in a “people’s choice” category. They chose The Little White Kitchen Baking Co.’s creation.