Eight finalists ready to defend their dough in the next phase of Tim Hortons Duelling Donuts contest

- Eight donut lovers from across Canada will travel to Tim Hortons head office to pitch their donut creation to an all-star panel of judges -

OAKVILLE, ON, Aug. 7, 2014 /CNW/ - It's dough business. After receiving more than 76,500 submissions for Tim Hortons Duelling Donuts contest, Tim Hortons has selected 8 finalists who are one-step closer to winning the $10,000 grand prize and having their donut immortalized on the Tim Hortons menu:

• Isabelle Scantland Lebel of Gatineau, Quebec, creator of The Pistachio & White Chocolate
• Judd Mah of Edmonton, Alberta, creator of The Lumberjack
• Nikola Kostic of Toronto, Ontario, creator of The Big Canadian Red
• Lauren Armstrong of Toronto, Ontario, creator of The Lemmy Tell Ya About Cheesecake
• Jennifer Brown of Glencoe, Ontario, creator of The Love Reese's To Pieces
• Danny Hawtin of Waterdown, Ontario, creator of The Cookie Jar
• Nancy Angus of Oro-Medonte, Ontario, creator of The Skor Brownie Points
• Jennifer Veenvliet of Barrie, Ontario, creator of The Ice Cream Sundae

So what stands in the way of being crowned champion for the Top 8? For starters, making the perfect pastry pitch to Jason Priestley, Jann Arden, Anna Olson and Ben Mulroney at Tim Hortons head office on Wednesday, August 13, 2014.

"Last year was a blast, but Tim Hortons has definitely raised the bar with this year's Duelling Donuts contest," says Jason Priestley. "By inviting the eight finalists to defend their dough in person, there's going to be a whole new level of passion and excitement in the air. I can't wait to spend the day with Ben, Jann and Anna and really get to know these donuts and their creators!"

After considering each donut's flavour, name and marketability, the judges will narrow the finalists down to four. On Monday, August 18, Tim Hortons will announce the four finalist donuts and open up the polls for the public to decide the winner.

"Once again, we were blown away by the creativity of our guests. We definitely had our work cut out for us to select only eight finalists, and we'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the over 76,000 guests who took part in the contest," says Tammy Martin, Vice President Marketing, Food and Merchandise, Tim Hortons. "Congratulations to our eight finalists. We're excited to meet everyone and hear their stories in person, and we're also thrilled to have Jason, Jann, Anna and Ben be a part of it."

Tim Hortons fans can join the conversation on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/timhortons, or follow on Twitter @TimHortons and Instagram @TimHortons and tagging their photos and comments with #TimsDuellingDonuts.

Tim Hortons Inc. Overview
Tim Hortons is one of the largest publicly-traded restaurant chains in North America based on market capitalization, and the largest in Canada. Operating in the quick service segment of the restaurant industry, 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 June 29, 2014, Tim Hortons had 4,546 systemwide restaurants, including 3,630 in Canada, 866 in the United States and 50 in the Gulf Cooperation Council. More information about the Company is available at www.timhortons.com.

SOURCE: Tim Hortons