18 - Sunday, April 12, 1992 - North Shere News Purdy’s head is a master candy maker TOM CINNAMON watches, a Purdy’s employee dunk cherries into a vat of chocoiate. NEWS photo Mike Wakefield Tom Cinnamon: in his own words ‘Do people ever ask you for free samples of candy?: ‘‘All the time. I think they think I have my trunk full of chocolates. The one I enjoy the most is when I go into the bank with a cheque with the name Purdy’s written on it, and the bank staff will say: ‘Do you have any free samples?’ Ill reply: ‘If you give me a sample of yours, I'll give you a sample of mine.’ ”’ Is it hard to make candy?: “It’s a skill that takes time to learn. It takes time to get the right feel for it. A chef will tell you it takes time to get the right feel for cook- ing, and it’s the same for making candy. “It takes time to learn how the cream, butter and sugar will blend together. You have to watch things like the boil and the bub- bles. Temperature is an important factor in making good quality candy. PET SITTING N YOUR HOME Consider a caring alternative + leave your pels in their familiar and comfortable sur- roundings and have your home looked after while you're away. daily watks available for busy families faaiter PET PALS 230-5514 Bonded & Insured “Believe it or not, the weather does have an effect. On a damp, rainy day you have to work extra hard to contro} your chocolate.”’ What do you like to do to relax when you're not working?: ‘‘! like to read, and | do some skiing. I really enjoy spending time with my children, and I also really en- joy gourmet cooking.’’ Blood Donors Urgently Needed RED CROSS BLOOD DONOR CLINIC MONDAY APRIL 13 2:30-8:00 pm TUESDAY APRIL 14 2:00-8:00 pm St. John Anglican Church 209 W 13th St North Vancouver TOM CINNAMON sweet guy. is one By Surj Rattan News Reporter His children likely stake out the front door, licking their lips and rubbing their hands in anticipation of what daddy might bring them home from work. To many, Cinnamon is Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Cupid all roiled into one. And at Purdy’s Chocolates, Cinnamon is known as_ the baker, and I loved it. Up until! that point | hadn't even boiled water, and | knew nothing about cooking. “Then [ came to Vancouver and went to the Vancouver Voca- tional Institute where I took a three-month bakery appren- ticeship course while 1 worked at various bakeries."’ But Cinnamon wanted to specialize, and he soon found himself answering a newspaper ad for an apprentice candy maker. He got the job but wasn’t too sure about the person he would be working for. ‘I was nervous about it because 44 Up until that point I hadn’t even boiled water, and I knew nothing about cooking. 99 ‘*master candy maker.”’ He has worked at the Van- couver-based Purdy’s for the nast 22 years. Cinnamon started out as an apprentice candy maker and quickly became the director of production operations for Purdy’s 46 retail stores in B.C., Alberta and Washington state. He is responsible for everything from hiring and purchasing to consulting on the formulation and development of new chocolate products. But just like a wine taster, Cin- namon does not overindulge. “I'm not much of a sweet- tooth guy. I do know the dif- ference between fine and not so fine chocolate, and there are sam- ples that I work with on a regular basis,’? Cinnamon says. ‘‘! prefer to save my palate for when ]} de- velop the chocolate.”” One of the most common ques- tions fielded by Cinnamon: Is that your real name? It is. Cinnamon started his career working in a bakery in the Kootenay town of Kimberley, where he was bora and raised. ’ While most people who grow up in Kimberley end up working in the Cominco mine, the town’s largest employer, Cinnamon said his father wanted him to do any- thing but work in the mine. “T found a job at a local bakery and started working for a Dutch — Tom Cinnamon of the fact that the candy maker drove a Volkswagen van with ‘love and peace’ written on the side, and he had long hair with a. pony tail,’’ laughs Cinnamon. He adapted well to his new job and liked the hours of the candy business better than those of the bakery business. “*T liked the fact that the hours in the candy business are more day-shift hours whereas the hours in the bakery business are from 3 a.m. to noon,’? says Cinnamon. “Being a young man and full of party I still wanted to socialize and have my cake and eat it too.” Christmas, Easter and Valen- tine’s Day are the three busiest times of the year for Purdy’s, which has become known as a leader in the candy business. While Easter is still one week away, all of Purdy’s Easter pro- ducts have been completed. And even though summer is a couple of months away, Cin- namon and his Purdy’s crew are already gearing up to start their Christmas production of candy. The commitment to quality and staff is what makes Purdy’s so successful, says Cinnamon. And that, he adds, is why the company has survived since founder Richard Cormon Purdy opened his first store on Robson Street in downtown Vancouver in 1907. ‘Right from the president down to the janitors, I think the quality @ NAME: Tom Cinnamon @ AGE: 42 @ OCCUPATION: Director of production operations for Purdy’s Chocolates @ RESIDENCE: couver © BORN: Kimberley, B.C. @ FAMILY: Wife Kathi, son Trevor, daughter Janelle, step-son Christopher North Van- of work that they do is a key to our success. It’s a family-owned business, and it’s run in a family atmosphere,’’ says Cinnamon. Another key to Purdy’s success, says Cinnamon, is that the com- pany has locations in most of the Lower Mainland’s major shopping centres. On the North Shore, Purdy’s has outlets in Lynn Valley Centre | and Park Royal Shopping Centre. Cinnamon says. moving _ into TOM CINNAMON, a 22-year veteran candy maker, . has taught others at Purdy’s Chocolates the tricks: of his - trade. _ - Park Royal was a gamble-. for Purdy’s. “Park Royal, being the: first shopping _centre on the North Shore, that was a big move for us. The rents were high there when we moved in.”’ : And what does Cinnamon look for when hiring new staff? . “Someone with a sparkle ‘in, their eyes, and a person who real. ly enjoys life.” PARKGATE VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTRE A new 90,000 sq.ft. shopping & service convenience centre is NOW OPEN at Mt. Seymour Parkway 4] and Mt. Seymour Road. The Bon Street Group is seeking the following tenants: § — Hair Salon — Pee supply store - Book store - Stationery store - Brownies Fried Chicken franchisee — Dairy Queen franchisee ~ Dentist ~ Pub/restaurant investors g as well as businesses requiring office space (500-3,000 sq.ft.). Prospective tenants i should contact Jeff Whitlock at 681-7284.