inthekitchen
inthekitchen
sweet success
By satisfying peoples ’ sweet tooth , Fred Morden and his family put smiles on the faces of young and old throughout the entire year .
by Arvel Gray
When Fred Morden started working in his family ’ s candy store in 1978 , his job at Christmastime was to twist the soft ribbon candy into a diagonal stripe and form the hook on the candy canes . Twenty-eight years later , as master chocolatier and owner of Mordens ’ of Winnipeg , he is busier than Santa , gearing up for the holiday crush of customers who will snap up some of the more than 70 varieties of chocolates , caramels , brittles , barks and roasted nuts .
Many large companies make candies more than a year in advance to meet holiday demands . Mordens ’ only makes and sells fresh stock . “ We can produce 9,000 pounds of candy and nuts a day during the holidays ,” says Fred , adding that the staff of 15 might pump out 5,000 pounds of cashews a day , 900 pounds of chocolate covered almonds and 800 pounds of Mordens ’ signature Russian Mints . This family recipe – a heady combination of rich milk chocolate infused with cooling peppermint oil – has been sampled by Queen Elizabeth II , and won first prize over 300 other entrants at the 1984 Louisiana World Expo .
In the competitive landscape of confections , Mordens ’ has flourished by maintaining its reputation for superior , delicious , beautifully presented products loved by locals , coveted by expats and savoured by an international fan base . “ Each of our chocolates provides unique , intense flavour ,” says Fred . “ That ’ s the difference .”
38 ciao ! / dec / jan / two thousand fourteen