So close to victory, they can taste it: Eight quarter-finalists advance to the celebrity judging round of Duelling Donuts

OAKVILLE, ON, Aug. 11, 2015 /CNW/ - Tim Hortons put out the call for the next great donut creation, and tens of thousands of donut fans rose to the challenge! After careful consideration, Tim Hortons has selected eight quarter-finalists in the Duelling Donuts competition, who are one-step closer to having their donut sold in Tim Hortons restaurants and winning the $10,000 grand prize:

• Kirsty Tamaki of Barrie, Ontario, creator of  'Brownie Batter Up and Skors' - a chocolate yeast based donut with brownie batter filling, chocolate icing and chocolate stripes, topped with chocolate sprinkles, SKOR® bits and pecans
  
  
• Francine Robinson of Napanee, Ontario, creator of 'Key Lime to my Heart' - a traditional yeast based donut with key lime filling, cream cheese icing, chocolate drizzle and topped with white chocolate curls
  
  
• Deryk Kirchner of Sherwood Park, Alberta, creator of  'Donut Pass on this Banana Bread' - a banana ring donut with banana filling and chocolate icing, topped with dark chocolate crispy pearls and pecans
  
  
• David Maguire of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, creator of 'French Toast Deluxe' - a cruller with maple crème filling, dark chocolate icing and maple drizzle, topped with pecans
  
  
• Rachel Keays of Moncton, New Brunswick, creator of  'Carnival Explosion' - a traditional yeast based donut with a cheesecake filling, strawberry icing, strawberry drizzle and topped with cotton candy pieces
  
  
• Jessica Martineau of Boucherville, Quebec, creator of 'Le Tim brulée' - a traditional yeast based donut with crème brulee filling, topped with white chocolate stripes, SKOR® bits and waffle cone pieces
  
  
• Kirsten Brown of Burlington, Ontario, creator of 'Jam Session' - a traditional yeast based donut with strawberry rhubarb filling, cream cheese icing and topped with chopped strawberries, strawberry drizzle and whipped topping
  
  
• Corrie Repko of Oshawa, Ontario, creator of 'Mint Brownie Cheesecake' - a chocolate donut with cheesecake filling, mint icing and chocolate drizzle, topped with brownie crumble

The eight quarter-finalists have been invited to present their donut to a celebrity panel of judges comprised of Jann Arden, deadmau5, and Sophie Tweed-Simmons. Judging will occur at the Tim Hortons head office in Oakville, Ontario, on Wednesday, August 12.

"I'm excited to taste the family-inspired creations, meet the finalists and hear the story behind each donut," said returning Judge, Jann Arden. "When I judged last year, I saw first-hand how creative and passionate Tim Hortons donut fans are!"

After considering a variety of factors, including each donut's flavour, name and marketability, the judges will narrow the eight quarter-finalists down to four semifinalists. Then on August 19, 2015, Tim Hortons will open up the polls and ask Canadians to decide which two donuts they want to have the opportunity to taste in Tim Hortons restaurants. The finalists will be announced on September 1, 2015, and will be sold in Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada in early 2016, where the most popular donut among Tim Hortons guests will determine who takes home the $10,000 grand prize.

"We're excited to see so many of our guests share their recipes with us.  Narrowing the field down to eight quarter-finalists took a lot of deliberation, consideration and care," says David Clanachan, President & COO, Tim Hortons Canada. "We extend a heartfelt thank you to the thousands of Canadians who participated, and congratulations to our eight quarter-finalists.  Jann Arden, deadmau5 and Sophie Tweed-Simmons have their work cut out for them in selecting four donuts to advance to the next round: the national vote."

Tim Hortons fans can share their donut favourites throughout the contest by joining the conversation on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/timhortons, or following on Twitter @TimHortons and Instagram @TimHortons and tagging their photos and comments with #DuellingDonuts.

Tim Hortons^® Overview
Tim Hortons, part of Restaurant Brands International, is one of North America's largest restaurant chains operating in the quick service segment. Founded as a single location in Canada in 1964, Tim Hortons appeals to a broad range of consumer tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, hot and cold specialty drinks (including lattes, cappuccinos and espresso shots), specialty teas and fruit smoothies, fresh baked goods, grilled Panini and classic sandwiches, wraps, soups, prepared foods and other food products. As of July 27, 2015, Tim Hortons had more than 4,700 system wide restaurants located in Canada, the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council. More information about the Company is available at www.timhortons.com.

About Restaurant Brands International
Restaurant Brands International Inc. is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with approximately $23 billion in system sales and over 19,000 restaurants in nearly 100 countries and U.S. territories. Restaurant Brands International owns two of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands - TIM HORTONS® and BURGER KING®. These independently operated brands have been serving their respective guests, franchisees, and communities for over 50 years. To learn more about Restaurant Brands International, please visit the Company's website at www.rbi.com.

SOURCE Tim Hortons

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Hailey DeDominicis
[email protected]
905-337-5361