Two Porirua venues have been named joint winners of the Whittaker’s Bake Off at ChoctoberFest Porirua, following a public vote on their chocolate creations.
Gear Homestead Venue and Bar and Sushil’s Musclechef Cafe shared the honours, with Porirua Mayor Anita Baker announcing the result after people visited participating venues, sampled the desserts and voted for their favourites.
Gear Homestead’s winning creation, The Ninth Planet, is a handcrafted chocolate planet featuring Whittaker’s 72% Dark Ghana chocolate mud cake, Creamy Milk chocolate mousse and a salted caramel centre.
The dessert is covered in a dark chocolate mirror glaze and finished with chocolate rings.
Sushil’s Musclechef Cafe impressed voters with Brûlée Noir, a rich chocolate crème brûlée made with Whittaker’s 72% Dark Ghana chocolate.
It is served with homemade biscotti featuring Whittaker’s Gisborne Orange and Hazelnut chocolate, Berry Forest chocolate soil, vanilla bean ice cream and freeze-dried raspberry.
Mayor Baker thanked everyone who had supported the participating Porirua venues and taken part in the voting.
“It’s a draw with these two amazing venues,” she said.
She congratulated Gear Homestead’s Beth George, director of events and operations, and head chef Dylan Boyd, along with Sushil’s Musclechef Cafe director Sushil Ravikumar.
Both winning desserts will remain available until the end of October, giving people another opportunity to try the creations before the festival finishes.