PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- You'll find Davina Soondrum in the kitchen of Bloomsday Cafe on Headhouse Square hand-crafting her artisanal chocolates.
She uses high-end Belgian chocolate, fills the delicate shells with carefully curated flavor profiles. She says every piece takes 2-3 days to make.
A graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia, she spent 15 years at some of the city's top restaurants and candy shops; she was the first confectioner for Franklin Fountain in Old City. But when the pandemic hit, she was working for a catering company and all her weddings were canceled and she found herself out of a job.
The owners of Bloomsday Cafe asked her to make a weekly specialty cake for their dessert menu, giving Davina the kitchen and the time she needed to finally pursue her passion project.
As a child, she says, she watched Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory every day for a year straight and told her parents that one day she'd own her own candy company.
The cherry on top?
She's now engaged to Bloomsday's general manager. He's a sommelier and she's a chocolate maker, making for a pretty good match. And yes, she plans to make her own cake.
Buy online or at Bloomsday Cafe
414 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, Pa. 19147
267-319-8018