Confection Connection Sweetens Students' Field Experience

Baking and pastry arts students made a recent weekend trip to the Philadelphia National Candy, Gift & Gourmet Show, where they worked alongside Laura Tornichio-Vidal, northeast territory sales manager for Guittard Chocolate Co., to prepare samples. The show, held Jan. 9-11 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, is hosted by the Retail Confectioners Association of Philadelphia. It is the largest trade show dedicated to the retail confectioner and attracts exhibitors and speakers from across the country and around the world. Tornichio-Vidal presented "A Guided Tasting of Blends and Single-Origin Chocolate” at the show, sharing information about flavor development from field to table, giving special attention to the important topics of sustainability and fair trade. Guittard is an important supporter of the college’s hospitality majors, donating all of the chocolate the programs use. The students were accompanied by Chefs Todd M. Keeley and Charles R. Niedermyer, instructors of baking and pastry arts/culinary arts, who provided the photos. "It’s always a pleasure to work with Guittard; they are so thoughtful and precise with their actions. It’s great for the students to see how a company makes decisions with the customers' experience in mind," Niedermyer said. "We also really benefited from attending the lecture and Laura’s chocolate expertise."