Restaurant Review: Phil's Fudge Factory

PHIL'S FUDGE FACTORY 9 - 11830 152nd Street ~ philsfudge.com Instagram: @philsfudgefactory ~ Twitter: @PhilsFudge Co-Diner: Tim Golem

This is a bit of a weird one. Phil's Fudge Factory is a fudge manufacturer in Edmonton... Except they do not have a physical store location. (I do not know what happens if you show up at their factory address in Mitchell Industrial and demand fudge.) I believe that they sometimes sell the fudge at places like farmers' markets, craft fairs and trade shows, however the information about if/when these events are happening doesn't seem to be easily accessed. If you wanna get your hands on this fudge you've gotta order it online - yes, even if you live just down the street. I agree that this is a pain. Why bother with this fudge at all? VUE Weekly named Phil's Fudge #1 Best Comfort Food 2018, #1 Best Sweets Shop 2018, #1 Best Desserts 2018, #1 Best Chocolatier 2018 and #1 Best Hidden Gem 2018. I have to admit, this seems like an awful lot of praise for a fudge shop that doesn't even have a physical store location, however I was certainly intrigued. The company started in 2011 and they have dedicated themselves to making the best fudge in Canada ever since. So what is fudge, exactly? First things first: IT IS NOT CHOCOLATE. I feel like this is an easy mistake to make. Fudge is a type of sugar candy that is made by mixing sugar, butter and milk, and heating it. It's more like a cube of fondant icing, if anything. At Phil's, they are committed to hand-making their fudge in small batches using the best techniques and the finest ingredients. They also produce thousands of different flavours which rotate on their website (they usually have 2-3 dozen flavours in production at any one time). Phil's claims to be the #1 fudge company in all of Canada. And so I went only their website, perused through the three pages (32 flavours) of fudge, and ordered the two that I liked the most. It is definitely annoying to pay for shipping on something that I could've easily picked up myself, in my own city. However, the delivery was fast and I had my two bricks of fudge in my hands only a few days later. Each piece (about 225 grams) was in its own individual white box and wrapped in cellophane to keep in the moisture and freshness. The first flavour that I absolutely had to try was the Peanut Butter Explosion ($11.99). I am a well documented crazy person when it comes to the combination of peanut butter and chocolate.

For peanut butter lovers, there is no combination that compares to sweet chocolate mixed with soft and creamy peanut butter. Phil’s Fudge Factory mixes the best chocolate with thick, rich peanut butter and layers them together to get the most out of each flavour. With a layer of chocolate fudge surrounded by layers of perfectly-blended peanut butter fudge, each piece fits together perfectly. Finally, peanut butter fudge and chocolate crisscross on top for one last flavour combo. This is one of our best sellers and customers tell us it tastes just like Reese’s Pieces.

While fudge does somewhat confuse me, I will say that biting into this version was some of the freshest, creamiest fudge that I have ever tasted. I truly had a difficult time being able to tell where the real peanut butter and chocolate ended and where the "fake candy" began. It was good. I loved the big peanut butter taste that combined perfectly with the chocolate flavour, creating that perfect combo that just about everyone loves. It was incredibly sugary-sweet but it delivered what it had promised. Next I wanted to try something a bit stranger and more unique. I chose the Root Beer ($11.99).

With a cap of rich, sweet foam on top of thick and fizzy soda, root beer is a drink to enjoy at any time. We’ve made our Root Beer fudge the same, mixing the slight fizzy bite of root beer with decadent creamy fudge to make a smooth and addicting combination. You don’t need a glass or a straw, and you can enjoy Root Beer fudge cool or warm. With ribbons of white and cola colour woven into the fudge, you’ll know right away which fudge is your favourite when your mouth starts watering.

This one certainly surprised me. It was very fresh and creamy as well, and the flavour was just like root beer. It tasted so much like root beer that it somehow seemed to be fizzy (or maybe that was just my brain associating the flavour with fizziness). Still incredibly sweet, but the distinct flavour was so clear and strong. The fudge tastes like what they say it is going to, I will give Phil that! One of the things that bothers me about fudge is that it doesn't melt. Instead your hands just get greasy and I have always found that unsettling. My general association to fudge is that it gets sold in tourist areas (for no apparent reason) and that it doesn't really have very much cultural significance or culinary merit. It's often dry, crumbly, and essentially just a block of sugar. However, I will say that Phil's Fudge was much better than the stuff I have had in the past. Phil refuses to use inferior ingredients and his fudge is simply a delicious, creamy, satisfying treat made with real cream and butter. I would've been much happier if I hadn't had to order it online - that part felt silly to me. It would be nice if their website was more clear about the physical locations (if any) where the fudge can be purchased. I'm no fudge convert, but this version really was some of the best. I would rather treat myself with a quality product like this one instead of the other kinds that you'll find out there, that's for sure. Phil's Fudge also makes beef jerky, if that's your thing.