Winner
Caramelized Sponge Toffee by Cōchu Chocolatier
Made in Calgary
$15.50
cochu.ca
As a kid, Anne Sellmer loved going to Banff’s chocolate shops and coming home with a bag full of sponge toffee. Now, as owner of Cōchu Chocolatier, Sellmer still loves sponge toffee, but has managed to create a product of her own worthy of a world-class chocolatier.
Sellmer started Cōchu — named after her children Cole, Charlie and Hugo — as a home-based business in 2017, creating her chocolates out of her basement kitchen. She fell in love with the detail and chemistry of the trade, and her creations quickly gained accolades, winning a multitude of awards at international competitions.
She opened a Cōchu storefront in 2022 across from the Central Library, selling bonbons in seasonal flavours, boutique chocolate bars and, of course, sponge toffee. “I wanted an elevated version of it,” says Sellmer, “something that has more depth, something that is airy and doesn’t get stuck in your teeth.”
Her deeply caramelized, almost smoky sponge toffee crumbles away in your mouth as you bite into it and comes coated in four kinds of top-quality chocolate: milk, dark-milk, dark and caramelized-white. The four varieties can then be packaged together in different combinations.
“A lot of what we do is about the experience, and just enjoying the products and the different nuances,” says Sellmer. “A lot of time went into playing with different pairings of chocolates and sponge toffee, and we thought a box with all the different flavours would be enjoyable.”
Sellmer personally recommends pairing her caramelized-white-chocolate sponge toffee with a glass of Sherry and a sharp cheese. “Just taking something traditional that we all grew up with and taking it to that next level.”
What the judges said: “I was never a fan of toffee, but Cōchu’s caramelized sponge toffee, won me over. It’s perfectly crunchy and melts in your mouth as you eat it. Their use of high-quality chocolate makes a huge difference. This is the ultimate snack to indulge your sweet tooth!” Saïd M’Dahoma
Sweet Food Category Runners-up
Honeycomb by Good Morning Honey
Made in Parkland County
$20
goodmorninghoney.ca
This Honeycomb is about as natural as a sweet treat can get. Good Morning Honey started in 2011, west of Edmonton in Parkland County with 920 hives. The company focuses on raising healthy colonies and the apiary has since grown to more than 5,000 hives. The light- and soft-textured, clover flower honeycomb is taken straight from these hives, naturally-made beeswax and all. Try the Honeycomb spooned into a salad for a burst of sweetness, paired with your favourite ice cream, as part of a cheese board or just eaten by the spoonful.
Lady Bits & Bites by Soul House Sweets
Made in Beaumont
$18.95
soulhousesweets.ca
Designed for women who want to prioritize health and wellness, Soul House Sweets has created a nourishing snack that you can feel good about eating. Lady Bits & Bites are an easy-to-eat chocolatey bite, packed with organic ground pumpkin seeds, sunflower, hemp and flax seeds, with coconut and dark chocolate, which provide a wealth of benefits like healthy fats, protein and fibre. These bites are easy to eat on the go for a burst of energy or as a snack to satisfy your chocolate cravings.
Milk Caramels by Shade Tree Chocolate Studio Ltd.
Made in Grande Prairie
$6
shadetreechocolatestudio.ca
This Milk Salted Caramel is the perfect mix of salty and sweet. A dose of crunchy Maldon salt on top means you can eat these caramels without being overwhelmed by sweetness and the caramel inside has an ideal consistency (it’s not so thick that it sticks to your teeth, but has enough chew to give it some substance). The light and buttery vanilla flavour lets the milk or dark chocolate coating shine. A good caramel is the mark of a great chocolate shop, and Shade Tree Chocolate Studio Ltd. has hit the nail on the head with this one.
