After a month of cocoa-fuelld competition, Agave by Imperial won Top Chocolatier for the 2nd Annual Hot Chocolate Festival.
The Peterborough Hot Chocolate Fest featured 20 over-the-top hot chocolate creations available for dine-in or takeout at participating cafes, restaurants, and pubs – with festival goers voting online for their favourites in 3 different categories: including top hot chocolate, most unique, and best classic.
With over 1800 votes cast, Agave by Imperial’s Chocolate Champurrado won first place receiving the most votes overall. As the crowned winner for the 2024 festival, Agave will receive a hot chocolate themed trophy to display and bragging rights for the year.
“We want to thank Peterborough for all your support and votes, we are so excited to be top chocolatier for the second year in a row”, says Manish Choudhry, owner of Agave by Imperial “Our customers loved this addition to our menu and many people looked forward to enjoying the Chocolate Champurrado after their meal. This festival is a great way to bring more people downtown and get out to explore all the wonderful businesses and culinary artists in the area.”
Taking the title for “Best H’Adult” hot chocolate is The Dirty Burger with their cocoa cocktail named the ‘Honey Cocoa Crunch Puff’. The winner for the category of “Most Unique” is Milk + Tea Shop for their cozy Earl Grey Hot Chocolate and the champion of “Best Classic” is Dreams of Beans for their indulgent Hazelnut Infused Triple Chocolate.
In addition to the chocolate shenanigans, we introduced a new element to the self-guided fest with a Hot Chocolate Rewards app. Digital stamp collectors were entered to win a weekly draw for Boro gift cards as well as receive access to exclusive discounts at several downtown businesses. There were over 300 festival goers signed up for rewards, with four winners in total.
“The festival added a nice little adventure to my daily walks, as I got to try so many delicious and unique hot chocolates while I was out. I would map out my route based on the location of the hot chocolate I wanted to try out that day”, says Jake Forbes, one of the Hot Chocolate Fest Rewards winners. Jake also works at a hotel in the area where he provides guest services to those staying in Peterborough and introduces them to local experiences. “I was so excited about this year’s fest – I would have the Hot Chocolate website open at the hotel’s front desk computer. When I’m checking in guests, I love to show interesting things to see and do in the area and thought this was the perfect incentive to get people out exploring the downtown. Plus, who doesn’t love chocolate?”
We would like to thank all the Hot Chocolatiers as well as our funding partner Shorelines Casino. The festival was organized by the Peterborough DBIA and The Boro.
For more information on this year’s festival and all the entry details, visit the festival website and follow @ptbohotchocfest on Instagram.
