WOW! Factor: A Sweet Canadian Story

WOW! Factor: A Sweet Canadian Story

Life can be sweet when it has that WOW factor. For 39 years, WOW! Factor Desserts has been producing sweet treats right here in Canada, and their homemade and handmade recipes and desserts have only gotten tastier.

FAMILY DRIVEN

The secret ingredient to WOW’s range of delicious homemade treats is the love that goes into every creation. Since opening in 1982, WOW! has called Sherwood Park, Alberta home. With secondgeneration owner Debbie Gust at the helm, the family-run business has made a name for itself as the leading upscale frozen dessert supplier to restaurants, hotels, banquet halls, casinos, airlines, and cruise ships—and to this day, they make all of their cakes by hand.

For 30 years, WOW! has placed a strong emphasis on community support, partnering with the Robin Hood Association, a non-profit, registered charitable organization dedicated to providing personcentred services and supports to children and adults with intellectual and developmental

disabilities, to provide meaningful job opportunities for people with disabilities.

Their incredible team members hand-fold each and every box their desserts are packaged in. While this could easily become an automated and cost-effective process, providing employment for members of their communities means more than efficiency—it makes a difference in a way that matters and adds a personal touch to every dessert.

In addition to being handfolded by their Robin Hood team, every WOW! box is made from 100 percent recyclable FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified Paper made from 100 percent recycled content.

“Since 1992, WOW! Factor Desserts and The Robin Hood Association have collaborated to fulfill a need in the factory,” says Sharon Galloway of Robin Hood Association. “It has been a very rewarding experience for us as it has enriched the lives of many of our individuals that seek meaningful employment.”

WOW! takes its community impact further by working

with local charities and nonprofits year-round to help make Canadian communities stronger. Among many local charities, WOW! is a Silver Sponsor for the Luce Initiative in support of Sunnybrook’s Family Navigation Project, and supports Hope Mission Edmonton, a not-forprofit Christian social care agency providing hot meals to those in need in Edmonton, Alberta.

SCRATCH-MADE GOODNESS

Homemade goes a long way at WOW! Their premium desserts are made from scratch using delicious icings, custards, glazes, and cream cheese icings made in-house with generations-old recipes that have only improved with time. With hundreds of desserts, including new biannual launches in the spring and the fall, WOW! is known for their innovation. In 2020, their Vegan Chocolate Decadence Cake placed in the top 10 in the SIAL International Innovation category, which rewards the best innovations in food. But what really brings these treats up a notch is

the combination of high-quality ingredients and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

From 100 percent Farm Fresh Canadian Dairy from Lactalis Canada to Canadian-made sugar from Lantic/Rogers to Canadian Grade A frozen wild blueberries and apple filling sourced from Canadian farms, WOW! makes it a point to support Canadian farmers. WOW! is also proud to stand behind products and ingredients that participate in sustainability programs, like fine Belgian chocolate from Callebaut Chocolate, which supports sustainable cocoa cultivation, and Robin Hood flour from Ardent Mills, which partners with farmers to help grow crops.

WOW’s team of specially trained representatives works one-on-one with the chefs and owners of restaurants across Canada to give them the support needed to customize their dessert menus and increase sales. Their high-quality desserts and dedication to supporting restaurant customers are what sets them apart from all others.

Without compromising on quality, WOW! produces products with WOW! Factor. Find delicious WOW! Factor gourmet pre-portioned cheesecakes, cakes, and so much more at your favourite chain restaurants, hotels, banquet halls, and airlines.

wowfactordesserts.com

VEGAN CARROT CAKE

© COURTESY OF WOW! FACTOR DESSERTS