The Centre for Food (CFF) at Durham College (DC) has announced the winners of its second-annual Gingerbread Competition at the Ho Ho Ho Holiday Hullaballoo, in support of the campus Holiday Food Drive.

The Gingerbread Competition and Ho Ho Ho Holiday Hullabaloo were part of the Gingerbread Festival hosted by the CFF. The Gingerbread Competition was lead by CFF professor and Chef Tanya Heck and the Ho Ho Ho Holiday Hullabaloo was lead by Kolleen Brunton, also a CFF professor, with the support of Event Management students.

“The Ho Ho Ho Holiday Hullabaloo (on Nov. 26) hosted over 150 people, of whom 100 were children who were very excited and happy to be able to kick off the holiday season. The event raised over $400 for the campus Holiday Food Drive, as well as many pounds of non-perishable food items,” said Brunton. “It was a morning filled with pictures with Santa, character visits from Elsa, Olaf, Batman and Superman, crafts, cookie decorating, and much more fun!”

Chef Heck said, “The Gingerbread Competition was a great success with 28 competitors. The houses entered this year were absolutely amazing and only a few points separated the top 10. A big thank you to our judges: pastry Chef Georg Krohn, Culinary Management program Advisory Committee member; Marco Cassano, owner of Anninas Bakeshop, in Goodwood; and Chef David Hawey, CFF professor. They did not have an easy job this year.”

She added, “I would like to personally congratulate all of the gingerbread house entrants on a job well done. So many creative and elaborate houses really made this event shine.”

Gingerbread Competition winners

High school division:

• First Place – Connor Grimes and Riley Hennessy, of East Northumberland Secondary School, in Brighton.
• Second Place – Sarah Cooke and Emily Doris, of Saint Peter’s Catholic Secondary School, in Peterborough.
• Third Place and People’s Choice Award (as voted on by Hullabaloo attendees) – Kacey Payne, of Henry Street High School, in Whitby.

DC student winners were:

• First place – Tori Richards, School of Business, IT & Management.
• Second Place – Christina Coughlan, Centre for Food.
• Third Place – Ryan Cullen and Ryan Koyangi, Horticulture – Food and Farming; Amanda Fuller and Amy Tripp, 911 Emergency and Call Centre Communications; and Kenzie Pasco, Contemporary Web Design.

DC staff winners:

• First Place – Kelly O’Brien, CFF
• Second Place – Kolleen Brunton, CFF

All gingerbread houses were donated by the entrants to the Silent Auction with proceeds from it going to the campus Holiday Food Drive.