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March 24: Ode to Kingsway, Volume Eight
It’s impossible to talk about Kingsway and not mention the Purdy’s Chocolates factory. They offer tours, which I have never partaken in but think I would enjoy, what with my love of industrial kitchen machinery and my recently obtained antique chocolate molds. I have, however, visited the factory store, which in addition to regular Purdy’s fare sells rejects in large bags. I always hope to find a bag of assorted mangled bunny parts, but unfortunately the broken shapes are usually far less interesting. Their peanut butter bars, however, in any form, are nothing short of divine.
It seems an odd location for a chocolate factory, and it remains to be seen if Purdy’s will stay on indefinitely or move off of Kingsway to a more industrial location as the strip becomes a little more settled. It would be a shame to see it go, and mainly because it would mean the loss of the best fountain in the city, which sits outside the factory doors and is made from used candy machines. Trés Willy Wonka.
By the way, if you live in Vancouver, watch the Courier tomorrow for an article about my Kingsway project…
I love your machines - and your biscuits
Comment by alison — March 25, 2008 @ 12:04 am
Oh! Isn’t it the most fabulous?? You’ve totally captured the wonder of that machine fountain…
Perfect timing, too, this time of year - the Purdy’s factory and Easter for me are forever inextricably linked!. My family spent at least a few Easters standing in line outside to go on a tour - a cold, rainy, veeeeeery long line. We always ended up a bit miserable waiting and waiting, but once inside - it was magic. Chocolate Bunnies as big as a six year old, conveyor belts, and big shiny machines. Even the hairnets they wore seemed cool! (they may have been purple, or it could be my childish/like brain remembering what it wants to) My only disappointment was learning that I could never work in chocolate - I have warm hands.
Apparently the saying goes: warm hands/melty chocolate.
Comment by Jen — March 25, 2008 @ 12:27 am
Always so enjoyable to see your wonderful drawing of fascinating equipment.
Comment by Don McNulty — March 25, 2008 @ 2:26 pm
Another beautiful drawing, Bambi! The machine appears alive! I, too, recall going on tours of Purdy’s as a kid — the smell, the chocolate drizzles, the aching, yet oh-so satisfied gut …. ooooo! I had heard they had stopped giving tours, so this is good news indeed if they have begun anew.
That being said, this is also perfect timing, given today’s news about Roger’s Chocolates in Victoria. Had you heard? Due to the US Bioterrorism Act of 2002, they no longer give tours of their factory (see http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080325.BCCHOCTERROR25/TPStory/National). Well, I always have preferred Purdy’s peanut butter daisies above all else!
Comment by Rita — March 25, 2008 @ 6:13 pm
Gosh i love this style of drawing, Bambi.
Comment by wagonized — March 26, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
Thanks everyone for your comments! As for the Purdy’s tours, apparently they don’t do them any longer either—I saw “tours” on their website, but I see now that it’s a “Virtual tour”. Darn it. But it appears there is an open house now and again. As for the Rogers tours being cancelled due to bio-terrorism, well, we can all breathe a sigh of relief now, because if the chocolate factory tours have been cancelled, we must all be safe! So ridiculous.
Comment by Bambi — March 28, 2008 @ 4:56 pm
The current Purdy’s location use to be a Canada Dry bottling plant in the ‘50′ and ’60’s.
Comment by Jaime — March 28, 2008 @ 8:22 pm