6th annual Oregon Chocolate Festival in numbers

Chocoholics flooded Ashland. The 6th annual Oregon Chocolate Festival broke all the records!
The hotel welcomed 36 vendors and over 1,600 visitors!

Quick facts;

• Friday night Ashland Gallery Association enjoyed great foot traffic to many of their chocolate themed exhibits.
• Chocolate Maker's Dinner 109 people enjoyed wonderful 4-course dinner created by Larks Executive Chef
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival welcomed 119 people who took advantage of the "chocolate" promotion.
• Chocolate events at Allyson's Kitchen were sold out, and so was baking class at Deux Chats Bakery.
• ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum welcomed over 100 attendees to the chocolate event for families with children,
• Noble Coffee Roasting Co. Sunday event filled up their coffee house!
• Silent auction of the desserts submitted for the Chocolate Dessert Competition generated $100 for ACCESS, Inc.

Eleven local restaurants participated in this year's Chocolate Dessert Competition.

Congratulations to Brandon Cunningham from Callahan's Lodge whose Chocolate Chile Torte with Black Cherry Compote was a big hit among this year's judges. It received 89 out of 100 points. The runner up was dessert from Omar's Restaurant: Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Cake with Decorative Sugar & Caramel Sauce.

Chocolate Dessert Competition judges included:

• Art Pollard ­ Chocolatier & owner of Amano Chocolates
• Jennifer Strange ­ culinary writer for Southern Oregon Magazine
• Leslie Haze ­ radio host, Lite 102FM
• Neil Clooney ­ Chef at Dragonfly Café & Gardens ­ 2009 Chocolate Dessert Competition winner
  
  

Chocolate Product Competition:
Congratulations PremRose Edibles, Linda Shumate from Creswell, Oregon for earning the Best in Show Award.

Chocolate Product Competition judges included:

• Frederick Shilling ­ Chocolatier, founder of Dagoba Organic Chocolate
• Art Pollard ­ Chocolatier & owner of Amano Chocolates
• Jennifer Strange ­ Culinary writer for Southern Oregon Magazine
• Leslie Haze ­ Radio host, Lite 102FM
• Charlie Douglass ­ Chocolatier from Harry & David

Best in Show ­ judges' choice

• 1st Place: PremRose Edibles
• Runner Up: Coastal Mist

Best Non-Traditional & Innovative Use of Chocolatee

• 1st Place: Coastal Mist ­ Mother and Child Reunion
• Runner Up: Enchanted Florist ­ Drinking Chocolate

Best Entrepreneurial Venture (Under 2 years)

• 1st Place: Enchanted Florist ­ Drinking Chocolate
• Runner Up: Karry's Sweet & Spicy Chipotle- Peach Sauce

Best Chocolate Candy (Best Marriage of Chocolate and Candy)

• 1st Place: Homemade Confections
• Runner Up: Recession Candy Company

Best Truffle

• 1st Place: PremRose Edible
• Runner Up: Zorba's ­ Date Rose ‘Karamel'

Best Bean to Bar Product (Vendor control from bean to finished chocolate)

• 1st Place: Zorba's Chocolates ­ 77% Dark Chocolate (Raw)
• Runner Up: Stir the Soul ­ Origins Bar

Thank you vendors, judges, media and all who joined us in celebrating Oregon Chocolates!

Respectfully,
Karolina Wyszynska