While the term a feast for all your senses may get thrown around loosely these days, we assure you that In Wonderland, a forthcoming event at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on October 7, surely fits the bill.
Dubbed “a whimsical chocolate sensory experience,” this party will be tempered with all manner of cacao for your palate, while your eyes and ears will be treated to live music courtesy of members of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and performances featuring acrobats from Monica's Danz Gym -- all staged within an Alice in Wonderland-esque setting.
On the culinary side of things, some of the city’s best restaurants, chefs and pastry shops – including La Belle Baguette, chef Tim Palmer of The Fairmont, Chocolate Zen, Goodies Bake Shop, Café Ce Soir, Chocolatier Constance Popp and chef Wayne Aastrom of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet – will be creating canapes and cocktails utilizing chocolate in both sweet and savoury applications.
This being the Winnipeg Art Gallery, there will also be all manner of spectacle.
Lennard Taylor will be there showcasing his trademark fashions, this time utilizing – you guessed it – chocolate, while the pièce de résistance will come courtesy of renowned chocolate artisan Christophe Morel.
Morel, who originally hails from France, is a second-generation pastry chef who has won numerous awards for his work with chocolate, including the Canadian National Chocolate Award (2003) and Lyon’s Coup du monde de la patisserie (2005).
Aside from creating delicious and beautiful chocolates (much like you can find daily at Constance’s shop) Morel also specializes in making staggering chocolate sculptures (see video above), and the one he will be creating for In Wonderland will be auctioned during the event.
There will also be chocolate showpieces by Constance and her crew, pastry artist Geoffroy Dextraze, and the aforementioned La Belle Baguette, Goodies, and chef Wayne from the RWB.
Considering this is an Alice in Wonderland-themed party, attendees are encouraged to get into the spirit of Lewis Caroll’s work and don a creative outfit (so bonus points if you manage to pull off a frumious Bandersnatch).
Tickets for this incredibly sweet event are now available at Chocolatier Constance Popp (180 Provencher Blvd), La Belle Baguette (248 De La Cathédrale Ave & 1850 Ness Ave) and Chocolate Zen (553 Osborne St). They cost $125 (with a $25 tax receipt) with the money raised going to support the continued growth of Manitoba French-speaking students and professionals looking to continue their pursuits in the chocolatier and pastry chef world.
You can also purchase tickets online here.
