Eatdrink #82 March/April 2020

Issue #82 | March/April 2020 

eatdrink 

The LOCAL Food & Drink Magazine 

The 

Women’s 

Issue 

2020 

Head Chef Erin Circelli-Russell 

The Chef’s Table 

Fanshawe College 

Dedication • Perspiration • Motivation • Inspiration • Hospitality 

Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario since 2007 

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Managing Editor Cecilia Buy – cbuy@eatdrink.ca 

Food Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca 

Copy Editor Kym Wolfe 

Social Media Editor Bryan Lavery – bryan@eatdrink.ca 

Advertising Sales Chris McDonell – chris@eatdrink.ca 

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Graphics 

Chris McDonell, Cecilia Buy 

Writers 

Jane Antoniak, Darin Cook, 

Melissa Graham, Gary Killops, 

Bryan Lavery, George Macke, 

Nancy McSloy, Sue Sutherland Wood, 

Tracy Turlin, Kym Wolfe 

Photographers Steve Grimes, Nick Lavery 

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OUR COVER 

Erin Circelli-Russell — 

Head Chef & Instructor at 

The Chef’s Table, Fanshawe 

College’s teaching 

restaurant in Downtown 

London — is a stellar 

representative of the 

outstanding women in our 

culinary community that 

we celebrate this year. The 

tributes begin on page 10. 

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Contents 

Issue #82 | March/April 2020 

Our Third Annual Women’s Issue 

Publisher’s Notes 

Why a Women’s Issue? 

Our Third Annual Celebration 

By CHRIS McDONELL 

6 

Spotlight 

Women in Food — and Drink! 

(2020) 

Talented Women Making 

a Difference 

10 

Beer 

Ladies’ Entrance 

This Way to the Brewhouse 

By GEORGE MACKE 

34 

Wine 

A Winemaker with Strong Roots 

Tanya Mitchell of 

Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery 

By GARY KILLOPS 

38 

The BUZZ 

Culinary Community Notes 

New and Notable 

By THE EDITORS 

42 

34 

38 

57 

54 

58 

Theatre 

A Captain Hook for Our Time 

Laura Condlln at the Avon Theatre 

By JANE ANTONIAK 

54 

Books 

Be My Guest 

Reflections on Food, Community 

and the Meaning of Generosity 

By Priya Basil 

Review by DARIN COOK 

57 

Recipes 

Taste the Wild 

by Lisa Nieschlag and Lars Wentrup 

Review & Recipe Selections 

By TRACY TURLIN 

59 

The Lighter Side 

Stop the Press 

By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD 

62 

62 

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eatdrink: The Local Food & Drink Magazine 

March/April 2020 | 5 

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Issue #76 | March/April 2019 

Serving London, Stratford & Southwestern Ontario since 2007 

Eleanor Kane 

Co-founder, 

Stratford Chefs School 

6 | March/April 2020 

Publisher’s Notes 

Why a Women’s Issue? 

Our Third Annual Celebration 

By CHRIS McDONELL 

eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag 

This annual celebration of women 

has become a fixture on the Eatdrink 

calendar. As I have 

noted before, there 

has not been a single issue of 

Eatdrink ever published that 

didn’t acknowledge important 

contributions from women. 

It just wouldn’t be possible 

to celebrate our local culinary 

culture without writing about 

women. So the question has Eatdrink #70, 2018 

been raised, “Do you really 

need to have a Women’s Issue?” 

The short answer to this question is a 

simple yes. For those who require a more 

detailed response, and I don’t want to be 

eatdrink 


The 

Women’s 

Issue 

Dedication 

Perspiration 

Motivation 

Inspiration 

Hospitality 

www.eatdrink.ca 

Eatdrink #76, 2019 

dismissive, I will add that 

despite significant progress, 

the culinary world remains 

an unequal playing (and 

paying) field, and we want 

to acknowledge that and 

support and celebrate the 

changes for women. 

This is the third time 

that we have published a 

Women’s Issue, and the 

calibre of candidates profiled here clearly 

demonstrates the challenge we have in 

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drawing up a short list every year. All of these 

women would have been a natural fit back 

in 2018 or 2019. I know I will say something 

similar next year. For those who will protest 

the omission of a certain woman here, I can 

only assure them that there is next year, and 

thank them for their advocacy on behalf of 

a strong woman. We do appreciate feedback, 

and we welcome suggestions. We’ll keep 

publishing this special annual compilation 

for the foreseeable future, and be mindful of 

celebrating women’s achievements in every 

issue of the magazine. 

Beyond our general roundup of distinguished 

women, we asked our regular contributors 

to turn their attention to this issue’s theme. 

I believe our readers will be pleased with the 

results. I especially like the conversation about 

women and beer in George Macke’s “Ladies’ 

Entrance” column for its balance in looking 

back at where the culture has been versus 

where we are now. Sexism is sometimes a 

subtle force, but with beer it has been blatant. 

I’ve long been an admirer of Sue Sutherland 

Wood’s take on life, and she hits the mark 

2nd Annual Maple Syrup Festival 

Saturday, March 7, 9am – 1pm 

Enjoy maple syrup production artifacts, maple syrup 

flavoured products, Canadian crafts, and in-housemade 

pancakes by Katherine from Growing Chefs topped 

with locally produced maple syrup from our very own 

Lynch Maple Farms. We couldn’t be more excited! 

Free Kids Craft Program! 

Saturdays, 9:30 am – 11:30 am 

Run by Dotsy’s Entertainment Co., you’ll find the table 

upstairs on the Mezzanine in one of the market booths, 

surrounded by good food, 

live music and free cooking 

classes for adults. 

March 7: 

Canada Critter 

Clothespin Puppets; 

March 14: Leprechaun Door Wreath; 

March 21: Butterfly and Snails Spring Stamping; 

March 28: Slime! 

April 4: Paper Egg Easter Craft 

SATURDAYS IN MAY 

Join us for mammoth meals, 

deals and experiences along 

the Oxford County Cheese Trail. 

Outdoor Easter Farmers’ Market 

Saturday, April 11th, 8am – 1pm 

Enjoy an abundance of local favourites in our annual 

Easter celebration, outside on the Market Square. 

See our website or Facebook page for further details. 

OxfordCountyCheeseTrail.ca 

1-866-801-7368 x3355 

tourism@oxfordcounty.ca 

MARKET HOURS 

Mon–Fri 8am–7pm 

Saturday 8am–6pm 

Sunday 11am–4pm 

Mezzanine & Restaurant Hours Differ

Hope Made 

Delicious 

35 

YEARS 

APRIL 22 

25% of sales will be 

donated in support of 

Regional HIV/AIDS 

Connection 

www.aTasteForLife.org 

See the list of our incredible Taste restaurants! 

Reserve a table for a DELICIOUS night out. 


again for Eatdrink with her “Lighter Side” 

contribution to close this issue. She too takes 

a look back at where women have been in our 

culture, contrasted with where we are now, 

and leaves me with plenty of food for thought. 

Progress can be a double-edged sword, and 

I appreciate Sue’s attention to this with her 

gentle but deft touch. 

International Women’s Day, celebrated 

on March 8, is the ostensible reason for the 

timing of the Eatdrink Women’s Issue, and 

we’re proud to support that. The roots of 

the day are in protest movements, both for 

women’s suffrage a hundred years ago — 

voting rights — and working women’s rights. 

Today’s #metoo movement stands clearly in 

that tradition, and while the battle for the 

vote has largely been won, we all know that 

women’s work continues to be a virtual and 

literal battleground. As a wise woman once 

told me, it’s just as important to celebrate the 

positive as it is to protest the negative. I hope 

we are doing that with this issue of Eatdrink. 

Peace, 

LOVE, 

LOVE IT! 

SO MANY 

SHOPS. 

THEMARKETWFD.COM 

HALINA A. 

GOOGLE REVIEW


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Spotlight 

Women in Food — & Drink! (2020) 

Talented Women Making a Difference 

I 

t was once a truism that there is a 

woman standing behind every great man. 

That may still be the reality today but the 

women profiled in the following pages 

stand here on their own merits. In many cases 

there is a man standing proudly beside them, 

but their contributions are no secret. 

In compiling this list, the only rigid criteria 

is that a candidate has not been celebrated 

previously in this annual Eatdrink tradition. 

Our goal is to present a diversity of candidate, 

from veteran contributors to our region’s 

culinary life, to relative newcomers who 

are making a mark. Once again, the list of 

worthy candidates is far longer than the final 

honour roll, but we’ve resisted the tempation 

to shorten the length of the profiles to fit 

more women into the limited space we have 

available. We assigned a group of writers to 

the difficult job of keeping these summaries 

brief —an agonizing process — but their 

creative snapshots and different approaches 

to the job offer insightful introductions that 

we believe do justice to some of the most 

influential women in our region’s food and 

drink culture. 

An effort to divide this list according to 

roles — chefs, entrepreneurs, and such — 

proved futile, as so many of these women 

wear multiple hats. On any given day, one 

job might define their role, only to change 

moments later. These are creative women, 

and problem solvers, and that is the common 

ground that unites them. One list of names, 

and the arbitrary nature of alphabetical order, 

follows. Prepare to be impressed. 

Nicole Arroyas 

Chef/Owner of Petit Paris & The Coop 

Rotisserie, London 

petit-paris.ca / thecooprotisserie.ca 

By Sue Sutherland Wood 

Chef Nicole Arroyas always knew that her 

career would be centered around food. From 

her early years (she was working in the 

kitchen at her parent’s restaurant, Archie’s 

Fish and Chips, at age 13) to moving to France 

to attend the prestigious culinary school, 

Institut Paul Bocuse, to running the Auberge 

du Petit Prince restaurant for five years, she 

has already lived many lives. More recently, 

Nicole has been able to create a vehicle for 

her long-held love of all things pastry in the 

highly-regarded retail/supply patisserie Petit 

Paris, located in Covent Garden Market. 

“I take each day as it comes and am 

thankful for family and for being able to 

do what I love, working with an amazing 

passionate team every day,” Nicole shares. She 

adds that “as a woman, sometimes, you are 

not taken seriously and respected; however, 

this only drives my passion more and pushes 

me to be the best I can be. I am proud to be a 

woman raised in Canada where we have equal 

rights and opportunities.”


Nicole’s newest venture, The Coop Rotisserie 

Express — online delivery from The Coop 

Rotisserie, another of Nicole’s success stories 

and also located within Covent Garden — 

provides convenient wholesome foods (including 

brined slow-roasted chicken), all made from 

scratch. A full catering menu has recently been 

added with delicious options for breakfast, 

lunch and dinner and (of course!) desserts. 

The Coop Express — at the Commissioners 

Road location — will also feature Archie’s 

Famous Fish and Chips. Good to know, The 

Coop boasts eco-friendly packaging. 

Jennifer Boyar 

Co-owner of sixthirtynine, Woodstock 

sixthirtynine.com 

As told to Nancy McSloy 

Celebrating 15 years as an independent, 

family-owned business, we are Oxford 

County’s only farm-to-table restaurant where 

menus are seasonal, based on local products 

with everything prepared in house. 

I am the co-owner with my husband and 

business partner, Chef Eric Boyar. We took 

over from Eric’s mother last year. Eric has 

always been chef and I have always been 

involved in some capacity. I manage the front 

house, which includes training, scheduling, 

serving and assisting our Wine Director to 

curate wine, beer and cocktail lists. 

As a Registered Nurse, I felt that caring for 

people was my true calling. I left nursing to 

stay home with my children but felt a void, 

wondering what my future would bring.


Serving customers has been a wonderful 

way to communicate the care and attention I 

practiced as a nurse. Ensuring that customers 

have incredible, artisanal meals combined 

with the best in genuine, warm, attentive and 

professional service makes me happy. 

To be hands-on in your business while 

balancing home and family life takes effort 

and perseverance. This industry is not for the 

weak at heart. I love the challenge because 

of the feeling you get when you hear a buzz 

Natalie Chapman 

Manager, David’s Bistro, London 

www.davidsbistro.ca 

As told to Kym Wolfe 

I started working at the Bistro as a server 

in high school, almost 20 years ago. Once I 

started working busy weekends and getting 

to know the customers and found a wee bit of 

confidence I knew it would be for life! 

Erin Circelli-Russell 

Head Chef/Instructor at The Chef’s Table, 

Fanshawe College, London 

https://bit.ly/2wWMLuc 

By Bryan Lavery 

London native Chef Erin Circelli-Russell is one 

of the city’s most influential chefs and culinary 

educators, inspiring hundreds of young chefs. 

Chef’s deep appreciation for cuisine developed 


in your dining room, see guests happy and 

relaxed, treating themselves to a nice meal. 

You feel a sense of purpose being fulfilled in 

front of your eyes. 

I love supporting women in our 

communities as I can identify with their 

struggles. I am a member of Oxford Women 

in Networking and sit as a chair on the 

International Women’s Day committee. I love 

connecting with other businesses to bring 

unique events to Oxford County. 

Growing up my Dad was not home too 

much — he worked six days week until at least 

midnight. Once I got to know the business 

and the customers, I understood why he put 

in that effort and time, and I wanted to do it 

with him. Now that I have my own children, 

I’m very lucky that Dad tries to help me find a 

better balance of work and family time. 

There have been challenges — like “the 

night from hell” as it is referred to, when the 

cash register died. Getting through those with 

a team of people all in it together is like no 

other satisfaction! 

On the flip side you have nights when 

things go perfectly with seating and orders, 

the kitchen is on fire — in a good way! — and 

customers tell you how much they enjoyed 

their evening. And then, when it’s all cleaned 

up, you get to sit down for dinner with your 

work family, which for me is extra special 

because that includes my Dad. 

What makes David’s Bistro special for me 

is our customers. We are serving some third 

generation! I work front of the house, and we 

try to have unique and interesting wines. To 

ensure I have the knowledge to recommend 

and pair wines, I have taken the first level 

sommelier course. 

Eventually I will take over the restaurant, 

but right now Dad is still “king of the castle.” 

Even when he retires it will always be David’s 

Bistro. 

when she was exposed to a variety of foods and 

traditions at an early age. This would fuel her 

lifelong passion for cooking. Working in a pasta 

and sandwich shop at the age of 15 was the 

beginning of her culinary career. 

Enrolling in the Culinary Management 

program at Fanshawe College, she became 

an award-winning graduate focusing on and 

excelling in culinary competitions. It was at this 

point that she embraced her career with passion.


She completed her culinary apprenticeship in 

Scotland and continued to travel the world, 

diving deep into local cultures and cuisines. 

Upon returning home in 2003, she secured 

a position at Fanshawe College as a Seal Chef. 

Currently Circelli-Russell is the head chef 

instructor guiding hospitality students at 

The Chef’s Table, the teaching restaurant at 

Fanshawe College. With a passion for food 

and education, she guides students towards 

gaining practical hands-on experience and an 

understanding of what it really means to work 

in and be committed to the hospitality industry. 

The Chef’s Table honours the procurement of 

local and sustainable foods and is focused on 

The heart of 

Downtown 

Strathroy 

Girls Getaway Weekend! 

2 Junior Suites each with queen beds 

and a $100 voucher for the Bistro. 

Erin Circelli-Russell 

serving quality and seasonal Ontario grown 

ingredients and Ocean Wise approved seafood. 

Circelli-Russell encourages the students 

to try new and exciting mashups with food 

and drink. In her eyes, everything can be 

paired with everything, and there are no 

rules about food and cooking. Outside the 

restaurant, you’ll find her baking up a storm 

and producing some fantastic cakes and 

sweet creations, as well as teaching her three 

children about the world of food and the local 

culinary community. “Start them young, and 

with any luck, they too will develop a lifelong 

love of the kitchen,” says Circelli-Russell. 

Subject to availability. Valued at $300. 

Historic Post Office & Customs Building 

71 Frank St, Strathroy • 519-205-1500 

www.clocktower-inn.com


Ellie Rachel Cook 

Co-wner, The Root Cellar, LOLA Bees & On 

The Move Organics, London 

hrootcellarorganic.ca 

facebook.com/londonontariolearningapiary 

onthemoveorganics.ca 


As a long-time sustainable food advocate, Ellie 

Cook is co-founder and co-owner of Old East 

Village’s farm-to-table organic restaurant The 

Root Cellar, and the natural urban beekeeping 

project LOLA Bees. She is also a co-owner of 

On The Move Organics. 

As an avid beginner beekeeper, 

unconventional special events coordinator, 

and environmentalist, Ellie strives to create 


opportunities for people to engage with the 

local food system. The Root Cellar is the only 

genuinely farm-to-table restaurant in London. 

“Since we opened our doors in 2012, our 

ethos at The Root Cellar has been to support 

and grow our local, sustainable food system, 

says Cook. “My partners and I aren’t as 

much restaurateurs as environmentalists 

who approach our work through the lens of 

local food. Our menus are simple, familiar 

and seasonal, and we’re pretty fanatical 

about our sourcing practices. Because of the 

incredibly hard work of our sister company, 

On The Move Organics, we’re able to purchase 

directly from dozens of small organic farms 

surrounding London.” 

“As business owners, we’re also interested 

in how far we can push the envelope of 

sustainability. In 2019 we joined Green 

Economy London, and that’s been an 

invaluable resource for us. We’ve been avid 

composters since day one and go to great 

lengths to divert all our organic waste from 

the landfill. These days we’re increasingly 

interested in reducing food waste and 

packaging, tracking/reducing/offsetting our 

carbon emissions, and learning more about 

regenerative and urban agriculture and 

supporting pollinators.” 

“My food philosophy continues to evolve 

as I learn more about sustainable agriculture. 

These days I’m particularly interested in 

the intersections between food, place, and 

sustainability. Also relevant is whether my 

picky kids eat the food I prepare!” 

Roula Dereza 

Owner, Merla-Mae, London 

merlamae.com 


Roula Dereza, charming owner and businesswoman 

at Merla-Mae Ice Cream, has been 

making customers happy for many years 

with a simple yet effective set of values. “My 

parents were always entrepreneurs and taught 

me the value of hard work and dedication,” 

Roula shares. “Even now, my mother [Julie 

Stavrou], who is retired, still comes in on a 

daily basis to make sure everything is up to 

par. That alone makes me very passionate 

to strive to be successful, to continue my 

parents’ legacy.” 

Many of Merla-Mae’s faithful customers 

are now bringing their own children (or even 

Roula Dereza (left) & Julie Stavrou


grandchildren!) to taste their first “half and 

half” soft serve cone or place an order for one 

of the famous ice cream cakes for birthdays 

and special occasions. It seems fitting that 

such a family-fueled institution would create 

family traditions for others, and Roula says 

many customers report having Merla-Mae 

cakes every year since they were born. This 

old fashioned, vintage vibe is completely 

intentional and Roula notes that she takes 

pride in offering “fast friendly service” and 

this is reflected again in the Merla-Mae motto: 

Through these windows we serve the finest 

people in the world … our customers. That’s 

how we felt in 1957 and we STILL feel the 

same today!” 

Manuela Frongia 

Manager, Blackfriars Bistro & Catering 

and Lavery Culinary Group, London 

blackfriarsbistro.com 

laveryculinarygroup.ca 


Photo: Phong Tran 

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Manuela Frongia was born in London, 

Ontario and moved back to her father’s 

hometown of San Mugheo in Sardinia when 

she was 10 years old. Returning to Canada 

in 1997, she worked with Bryan Lavery and 

Chef Barbara Toomer at the former Murano 

Restaurant. Frongia is a founding member of 

London’s former Slow Food Convivium and 

Breakfast 

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519-298-TEAS (8327)


advocate of the Slow Food Movement. She has 

worked closely with Lavery producing events 

over the past 20 years. Frongia has been, and 

is still, instrumental in various fundraising 

and charitable initiatives. 

As catering manager at Blackfriars Bistro 

& Catering, Frongia works alongside culinary 

luminaries Betty Heydon and Chef Jacqueline 

Shantz. Her milieu and focus are in the dining 

room at Blackfriars Bistro, an environment 

where have women felt cared for and valued 

for 24 years. 

Frongia is also a long-time associate of the 

Lavery Culinary Group and helps manage 

and customize culinary experiences, special 


events, pop-ups and cooking classes. This 

involves planning, coordinating, delivering 

and evaluating a variety of innovative 

fundraising, culinary and special events. 

Frongia has worked as a cooking instructor 

with an expertise in regional Italian cuisines, 

particularly Sardinian, and has a strong 

background in regional types of pasta making, 

taught to her by her Calabrian mother. More 

recently she has worked as a food stylist for 

Gotham Studio boutique photography and 

videography studio located in downtown 

London. Frongia has two daughters, Isabela 

and Sophia, and a spirited puppy named Luna. 

Nancy Hotson 

Owner, Buzz Stop, Stratford 

buzzstop.com 

By Melissa Graham 

You can tell the moment you walk in that 

Nancy Hotson’s Buzz Stop was the first 

gourmet coffee shop in Stratford. It smells 

fantastic. Nancy has been on York Street for 

30 years. She has fresh roasted coffee beans 

delivered weekly. Organic and fair trade, 

including Ethiopian, Viennese and Turkish. 

She sells a lot of beans. There is tea, too. 

Nancy says she feels “blessed to have such 

loyal customers from far and wide.” There are 

lots of locals and downtown business-people 

that come in for a cup to go, or a pound for 

home. In the summer there are regulars that 

come every year when they visit the Festival. 

Many have been coming since the coffee 

shop opened. And not just for the fabulous 

coffee. Nancy has a vast selection of wellstocked 

humidors holding some of the best 

cigars in the world. Cuban, of course, but also 

Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Honduran. She 

also has pipe tobacco and pipes. 

There are jams, marmalades (bought one!) 

and preserves from Scotland. And biscuits 

and crackers from Holland to serve with local 

Stonetown cheeses, and jars of preserved 

lemons and chestnuts. 

Nancy volunteers with Feline Friends, and 

all tips go to animal-related causes. There is a 

quaint courtyard patio in the shaded front of 

The Buzz Stop where you can relax and enjoy a 

river view with your coffee. 

Deborah Hunter 

Co-owner/Chef de Cuisine/CFO, The King 

Edward Restaurant & Pub, Ilderton 

thekingedward.com 


After well over a decade of success at The 

King Edward Restaurant & Pub in Ilderton, 

co-owner Deborah Hunter is still refreshingly 

upbeat about the many hats she wears in her 

busy life. “There is nothing more feminine


Deborah Hunter 

than a strong woman who is confident in 

the role of Co-owner, Chef de Cuisine and 

CFO, while also being a mother, wife and 

grandmother,” Deborah says. 


The King Edward prides itself on 

authenticity as a pub (Deborah’s husband 

and co-owner, Rich Hunter, is a genuine 

Englishman himself) and as you might 

expect, there is a stellar selection of both 

locally crafted beers, British imports and 

cider. (The King Edward also boasts one of 

the few hand-pulled cask beer systems in 

Southwestern Ontario). The menu is also 

extensive (over 50 different kinds of chicken 

wings) but traditional pub-fare such as Steak 

and Murphy’s Pie and a selection of handmade 

burgers are also available, as well as 

Daily Specials and take-out options. (Deborah 

points out that everything is “scratch-made, 

utilizing local ingredients.”) Noteworthy is 

a particularly thoughtful Kids’ Menu, with 

realistic but wholesome, keeping-it-real 

choices such as buttered penne pasta with 

parmesan and a salad. 

Running a business while balancing 

family commitments is gritty, hard work but 

Deborah’s sincere passion and energy have 

helped make the King Edward a sought-after 

destination.


Kimberly Hurley 

Co-owner, Keystone Alley, Braai House and 

The Little Green Grocery, Stratford 

keystonealley.com 

braaihouse.ca 

thelittlegreengrocery.com 


Kimberly Hurley is the co-owner of Keystone 

Alley, Braai House and The Little Green 

Grocery. Keystone Alley has been a part of 

Stratford’s casual fine dining scene for over 

three decades. Kimberly and her husband/ 

business partner Anthony Jordaan have 

owned Keystone for four years and continue 

to offer the quality hospitality that people 

have come to expect. 

Braai House is a new adventure that 

began with great success last year. It focuses 

on South African open-fire cooking (Braai 

is Afrikaans and rhymes with dry) — fire 


bringing together people, food and nature in a 

comfortable atmosphere. 

The Little Green Grocery offers local 

produce in low-waste and reusable containers. 

The store offers many new products with a 

seriously environmental attitude, taking little 

steps towards changing the way we shop. “No 

positive change comes with guilt,” 

Kimberly says. 

Kimberly is a Doctor of Audiology, 

a career she continues. She also 

does the marketing, front of house, 

customer relations, and inspired 

social media for all three businesses. 

Anthony is a chef who’s been in the 

industry for 20 years. They are equal 

partners in their adventures. And 

they have three young children. 

Kimberly and Anthony have a 

close relationship with their staff. 

Kimberly says, “We’ve created a 

family of people with the same 

common goal.” There is no “us 

or them,” she adds. Many staff 

are graduates from chef schools and share 

Kimberly and Anthony’s love of seeing people 

enjoy what they have created. Kimberly 

stresses love of food, health and wellness. The 

couple are also involved in volunteer work, 

including Soup’s On and Heartburn Day. 

Keystone and Braai House have two of 

the nicest patios in town where, thanks to 

fireplaces, fire table and torches, you can sit 

well into the fall. They also offer in-house craft 

beer brewed in the basement. You may find 

Kimberly on the patio enjoying a well deserved 

glass at the end of day — whenever that is! 

Katherine Jones 

Chef, Growing Chefs! Ontario, London 

growingchefsontario.ca 


Executive Chef Katherine Jones is a Stratford 

Chef School graduate and for eight years has 

been with Growing Chefs! Ontario, working 

to challenge the perceived limitations of 

children and youth in the kitchen. Her 

interest lies in using hyper-local ingredients 

and foraged finds. A day in the work-life of 

Jones can include anything from leading a 

family-activity cooking class for 150 people 

in a school, to helping the Beet lunch team 

produce up to 300 healthy lunches daily for 

their school and camp lunch program. It 

might also include harvesting vegetables in 

the learning garden or hosting a fundraising 

dinner for Growing Chefs! programming 

initiatives. 

Jones’ interest in foraging took root 

after her daughter was born. She stated, 

“We lived next to a beautiful green space 

and throughout the seasons we would take 

baskets to collect, taste, and learn together, 

as a family, about what was growing in our 

backyard.” As a chef, this opened her eyes 

to the bounty of ingredients available and


Katherine Jones 

allowed her food to become more individual, 

idiosyncratic and exciting. What she did 

not anticipate was that, once she gained a 

firmer knowledge and understanding of the 


culinary and medicinal uses of plants, her 

perception of Canadian cuisine would change. 

“I am proud to be able to incorporate these 

truly Canadian ingredients into menus, and 

to share this knowledge about invasive plant 

species and native plants, as a way to get 

people excited about going outdoors and 

walking through the forests with their friends 

and families,” she says. 

Food education centres can teach children 

and families to develop healthy relationships 

with food. “Food literacy means building 

excitement around food, and a willingness to 

learn about what we eat. Reading recipes and 

cooking meals from scratch will significantly 

increase food literacy. If kids have a hand in 

what they are making, they are much more 

likely to try it,” says Jones. “What we try to 

do at Growing Chefs! is to let people have 

fun with food. It is not about your technical 

skillset, or the nutritional breakdown of 

recipes, just cooking with your children and 

playing in the kitchen will increase everyone’s 

food literacy.


Dianne Krampien & 

Annette Gerber 

Distinctly Tea, Stratford 

distinctlyteastratford.ca 


Dianne Krampien has been selling tea 

on York Street for over a decade. She 

started as an employee and became 

the owner nine years ago. Her right 

hand is her daughter Annette Gerber. 

“We work well together,” says 

Dianne. “I love working with my 

mother,” Annette adds. 

Both Dianne and Annette studied 

at the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada 

and are certified tea sommeliers. 

Annette continues, “I love finding the right 

tea for the right person.” 

They enjoy loyal customers from near and 

far. More recently they have noticed a younger 

audience popping in for a cup. 

The tea selection is vast, lining the walls up to 

the ceiling. All kinds of tea: Earl Grey, Oolong, 

all the greens, fruit, and even chocolate teas. All 

naturally flavoured. The teas come in multiple 

sizes, from a 10-gram taster up to a kilogram. 


Most of the tea is blended in Germany. 

A selection of beautiful Polish pottery and 

Japanese teapots, traditional and modern, 

decorate the store. Dianne and Annette host 

tea tastings in the winter, but in the summer 

they are too busy. 

Hot tea to go is available all year, and iced 

tea in the summer to enjoy while you walk 

along the river. “Tea is so good for your health. 

I have been known to be called a tea pusher!” 

Dianne tells me. And indeed — I did buy some 

excellent tea. 

Deb Kussmann 

Owner, Pepper Tree Spice Co., Port Stanley 

& Western Fair Market, London 

peppertreespice.com 


Launched as Hyde Park Spice in 2010, the 

company was rebranded as Pepper Tree Spice 

in 2012. We are now Canada’s leading artisan 

spice crafter with over 300 organic and natural 

spices, best known for our 90-plus proprietary 

artisan hand-crafted blends made on-site in 

Port Stanley. Our blends are made with little 

to no salt, wheat, dairy or additives. We also 

carry gourmet foods, gluten-free and vegan 

options, local artisan cheese and bread, as well 

as quality kitchenware. 

We offer a fresh alternative to mainstream 

spice solutions as well as private blending 

services for clients nationwide. It is a spice 

wonderland! Our cooking classes and workshops 

are a great platform to learn about local and 

international cooking and more about spices. 

Our business is for everyone regardless of 

culinary experience. By offering the highest 

quality products available, exceptional 

customer service and a welcoming space our 

customers can be creative and inquisitive. For 

me the creativity is endless! 

This business has been a natural fusion of 

three significant influences in my life: a farm 

upbringing, an art degree and a 20-plus-year 

career in manufacturing management. At 30 

I returned to school and obtained a master’s 

degree in business. It is never too late to put 

yourself out there! I did at 45 and love it!


My advice to other women would be: don’t 

cut corners, do your research, find a niche and 

be prepared to work long hours. Surround your 

self with great, supporting people and go for it! 

Lori Lupton 

Sales Representative, Pelee Island Winery, 

Kingsville 

peleeisland.com 


I started in this business 35 years ago in 

Stratford and learned from wine expert Bill 

Munnelly, the founder of Billy’s Best Bottles. 

He’s still my mentor. Bill brought wine culture 

to everyone from the novice wine drinker to 

the wine collector. I’ve adopted his philosophy 

— you can enjoy a good bottle of wine 

without having to spend a fortune. 

Trust... 

Taste... 

Quality... 

At Metzger’s, 

we follow Old World 

recipes to create healthy and 

wholesome foods. We hand select 

dry aged Ontario Prime and AAA 

Beef and offer superior local Pork, 

Poultry and Lamb. We are especially 

proud of our own handcrafted 

artisan-style meats and salamis. We 

are confident that you will taste the 

Metzger Meats difference. 

I’ve been with Pelee Island Winery for 20 

years. My job is all about creating relationships, 

and they’ve allowed me be as creative as possible 

with our clients. Many have been long term 

clients in the hospitality industry, who I work 

with to create wine lists. I have the pleasure 

of working with brides and grooms to help 

them choose wines for their special day, with 

the LCBO to promote our wines, and with the 

general public at trade shows. 

Pelee offers Southwestern hospitality at the 

winery in Kingsville and the pavilion on the 

island. I love bringing customers to both. As 

the southernmost inhabited point in Canada, 

Pelee Island is still a well-kept secret. There are 

always lots of laughs and a bit of education or 

Open six days a week. 

Hensall, Ontario 

Just off Hwy 4, 

45 minutes north of London. 

www.metzgermeats.com 

519-262-3130 

Available in London at 

The Village Meat Shop 

at Western Fair Farmers’ Market 

on Saturdays! 

Local Beef • Pork • Lamb • Poultry 

Specialty European Meat Products


the sharing of something new about our wines. 

One of my favourite memories goes back 

to when I was working with the LCBO. I was 

at Vinexpo in Bordeaux and the Canadian 

flag was raised after an Ontario winery was 

Meredith Maywood 

Product Development & Marketing Tourism 

Specialist, Tourism Oxford, Woodstock 

tourismoxford.ca 


We support and work with over 300 

businesses and organizations in growing and 

celebrating tourism in Oxford County. 

Facilitating and celebrating the food and 

drink scene in Oxford County, we provide 

opportunities for businesses to meet and 

collaborate. A great example of this was the 

development of the Oxford County Cheese 

Trail and Oxford Fresh. The Cheese Trail is 

a self-guided culinary tour involving over 

25 food producers, restaurants, cultural 

attractions and accommodation providers. 

Oxford Fresh celebrates local food producers 

and restaurants that feature their ingredients. 

It has been an honour to work so closely 

with businesses as they craft new experiences 

for visitors, welcoming them and hearing 

stories of how Oxford inspires them. Visitors 

can now picnic in a blueberry patch, learn 

about aging cheese, make truffles or roast 


awarded the top prize. I’m very proud of how 

Ontario has grown its world class wineries, 

and to have been a small part of that success 

by promoting not just Pelee Island but all 

Ontario wines. 

coffee. Seeing business people opening their 

doors and sharing their passions makes me 

proud of where I am. 

My advice to other women: get out and 

network and meet the people who inspire you. 

Work with new people in innovative ways and 

celebrate each others’ accomplishments. 

Growing up in rural PEI gave me a passion for 

local food, the environment and the art of story 

telling. Through my work I can do just that! 

Bhan Mudliar 

Chef/Owner, New Delhi Deli, Covent Garden 

Market, London 

https://bit.ly/3ceRozU 



Bhan Mudliar was born in Nadi, Fiji Islands, 

and later moved to Sigatoka, an urban 

centre on the island of Viti Levu. Mudliar 

developed a strong work ethic early, alongside 

her sugarcane farmer father. Sugar cane 

is indigenous to the islands of the South 

Pacific, and farming is a difficult way to make 

a living. She immigrated to Canada to assist 

her brother almost two decades ago. In return 

her brother put her through the Fanshawe 

Culinary Management program, where she 

completed five semesters. 

Mudliar worked at Fanshawe Pioneer Village 

for a few years, producing large quantities of 

“Canadian” food for large events. She worked


in the kitchen at Black Trumpet Restaurant for 

a year and with respected culinary instructor 

and educator, Maya (Clarke) Love, at Real 

Canadian Superstore. She also worked at the 

Covent Garden Market part-time, eventually 

purchasing the New Delhi Deli, becoming the 

fourth owner of the business. 

Mudliar works seven days a week, making 

everything from scratch, on-site. She started 

cooking with her mother at the age of four. 

Both parents cooked at home. Mudliar serves 

a distinct Indian-South Asian/Caribbean 

fusion cuisine. In many Fijians’ homes, 

cuisines from other cultures are prepared 

on a regular basis, such as Indian masalas 

(Mudliar roasts and grinds her own Indian 

and Caribbean spice blends) and specialties 

from South Asia and the West Indies. This 

cuisine is rooted in and reflects the diaspora 

of hundreds of thousands of indentured 

labourers taken to the sugar cane fields of 

the Fiji Islands, Caribbean, South Africa and 

Mauritius to replace freed African slaves. 

Mudliar’s repertoire includes items such as 

jerk chicken (it takes three months to ferment 

a batch of fiery scotch bonnet peppers to 

make her jerk seasoning), oxtail, curry goat, 

roti wraps, onion bhajias, samosas and 

seafood, curry chicken and Jamaican patties 

that only skill and expertise can produce 

properly. The New Delhi Deli offers a selection 

of gluten-free, plant-based and vegan options. 

Mudliar’s niece Seema Narayan recently 

arrived from Fiji via the United States to give 

her a helping hand at the Deli. Mudliar has 

enrolled her in the Fanshawe College Culinary 

program, to bring things full circle. 

Ann Neydon Wilson 

Owner, Oxley Estate Winery, Harrow 

oxleyestatewinery.com 


My husband Murray Wilson and I both grew 

up on farms. When I retired from practicing 

law I was ready for another adventure; I think 

Murray just wanted to drive a tractor again! 

We started the winery in 2010 when we 

planted our first five acres of vines on a 

farm near our home. We named the winery 

after the historic hamlet of Oxley where it 

is located. We have a rich sandy soil that 

grapevines love, and in year two we had a 

hellishly hot summer — perfect conditions for 

growing grapes! We opened the winery and 

restaurant in a renovated 1920 barn, built the 

“a gastronomical landmark for over 24 years” 

Booking 

NOW for 

Mother’s Day! 

“Where ALL Mothers 

Are Queen!” 

May 10 

Bistro & Catering 

Chef-driven Farm-to-Table Cuisine 

Dietary Needs Accommodated 

Ample Free Lunch Parking Mon–Fri 

Available for Private Dinner Parties Mon–Sat 

Gift Certificates Available 

46 Blackfriars Street, London | 519-667-4930 


LUNCH Wed to Fri 11:30–2:30 

DINNER from 5pm daily 

432 Richmond Street 

at Carling • London 

ALWAYS 

a 3-course prix fixe 

menu option 

www.davidsbistro.ca



Ann Neydon Wilson 

big patio and outdoor fireplace, and planted 

the large gardens that grace our site. When we 

had the basics, we set out to hire a great staff 

and succeeded by hiring young people from 

our rural neighbourhood and small 

town. We now have two farms 

across the road from each other, 

20 acres of vines and a distinctive 

fruit-forward wine making style. 

We’ve been involved in the 

annual Explore the Shore weekend 

along our road since it started in 

2010. We have great neighbours, 

and the 22-kilometer stretch of 

road along Lake Erie is full of agribased 

entrepreneurs. 

My favourite part of each day 

is working with the young people 

we work with here — managers, 

tasting bar staff, chefs, servers, dishwashers, 

including our son and four grandsons. They 

are full of fun, smarts and fresh ideas, so 

every day is a good day at Oxley. 

. 

Kimberly Nunez 

Owner, Cream Beanery Cafe, London & Mt. 

Brydges 

facebook.com/creambeanerycafe/ 


We offer delicious food and beverages in a 

delightful atmosphere suitable for all. We 

are one of the few pour-over coffee bars in 

London. The coffee is ground fresh, we use 

filtered water and manually pour the coffee 

on the spot. Our fair-trade coffee beans are 

organically sourced from Columbia and other 

countries and roasted in Mt. Brydges. We also 

have over 30 varieties of organic loose-leaf tea. 

My role is quite simply everything! A typical 

day/week includes serving, cooking, baking, 

making gelato, staff scheduling, payroll, 

shopping and more. Owning your business, 

you do it all. 

Seeing our customers on a regular basis, 

conversing with them is so special. Having 

them understand and appreciate how hard we 

work (for them) is so rewarding. Seeing a child 

— or adult — excited about our ice cream 

flavours is fun! 

If you are looking for a rewarding career 

and enjoy food and drink, I would say, “go 

for it”. Understand that it is not always easy, 

requiring a huge commitment. The hours are 

long, and you will have struggles as you grow. 

I didn’t plan to be a café owner. I was an 

elementary school teacher for 14 years. When 

my husband was transferred to London, I 

didn’t go back to teaching. When an ice cream 

business came up for sale, we decided to 

leave our past and try something new. The 

business was seasonal, so in December 2017 

we expanded and opened the London location, 

and in 2019 we opened in Mt. Brydges with 

plans to further expand.



at the London Hunt Club 

April 30 th 

5 

Different Chefs & 

Course Dinner 

ONE INCREDIBLE EVENING 

supporting BethanysCure 

Cocktail Hour 5:00PM 

5 different restaurants hosting tasting stations! 

Featured signature cocktails with 

an amazing Silent Auction. 

Dinner Program 6:30PM 

5 local Chefs will take you on a culinary 

journey throughout the evening. Live Auction 

hosted by the one and only The Auctionista! 

Musical Guest: 

Paul Zubot & The Hollywood Band 

Tickets $200.00 each 

call 519-858-HOPE or visit 

BethanysHope.org


Liz Payne 

Owner, The Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop, 

Stratford 

themilkywhey.ca 


The sign is from Monty Python’s cheese shop sketch. 

The first thing you notice when you walk into 

Liz Payne’s Milky Whey Fine Cheese Shop 

in Stratford is the quote on the back wall: 

‘Cheese — milk’s leap toward immortality.’ 

(Clifton Fadiman.) 

“I had been thinking about a cheese shop 

for a long time. The opportunity presented 

itself and I made it happen,” says Liz. 

Liz has chosen local artisanal and small 

batch cheeses as well as a varied selection 


of products from Quebec, the Maritimes, 

Manitoba and BC, and cheeses from around 

the world. Seasonally related blues, cheddars, 

and goat cheeses share the shelves. 

The Milky Whey offers not only a wellcurated 

cheese cooler but also many 

dry goods. Liz offers charcuterie, local 

honey and honeycomb. She has cheese 

boards, knives and fabulous olives, as 

well as olive oils from Spain, Provence 

and Greece. The dry goods started as 

an afterthought — she had to have 

crackers! — and now offers a variety 

of products you can’t get elsewhere in 

the city. 

Liz studied at the Cheese Education 

Guild with founder Kathy Guidi — a 

Canadian cheese industry leader. She 

chose Stratford to set up home after 

the company she was working for in 

marketing went bankrupt. 

Liz is involved in the Hunters 

Banquet, a fundraiser held every year 

by the Local Community Food Centre, where 

wild game and fish are donated, prepared, 

and served by a team of volunteers from the 

culinary community. 

The Milky Whey also has a warm and cozy 

back room where Liz offers private Saturday 

afternoon tastings and pairings with wines 

and local beers. Liz is a wonderful host for an 

afternoon nosh and conversation. 

Kate St. Laurent 

Baker/Owner, Bake Shop Studio, London 

bakeshopstudio.com 


Cake designer and baker Kate St. Laurent 

was born and raised in London, Ontario. 

Possessing an artistic nature, St. Laurent 

grew up playing piano, drawing, painting and 

singing in the choir throughout public and 

high school. St. Laurent began her career not 

in the pastry arts but Fine Arts, attending 

Fanshawe College and then completing her 

Bachelor of Fine Arts at NSCAD in Halifax. 

St. Laurent began the search for work in a 

creative field and landed in the up-and-coming 

world of custom cakes and sugar flowers, 

using her artistic skills in the medium of 

buttercream. She began working in bakeries 

back in her hometown, gaining a wealth of 

experience and knowledge before deciding to


open a shop in 2016. 

St. Laurent’s focus for Bake Shop Studio 

is to specialize in artistic cake designs while 

maintaining the integrity of traditional 

scratch baking methods. Her Fine Arts 

background provides inspiration, and she 

creates beautiful and delicious works of edible 

art. Everything is made in-house including 

French macarons, cupcakes, brownies, and 

cheesecake as well as a selection of gluten-free 

and vegan options. 

Bake Shop Studio found a perfect home 

in the heart of Wortley Village in November 

2018, upstairs above what has become the new 

Wolfe Pack Company Bar. Former co-worker 

Vanessa Fields joined St. Laurent and is now 

head baker. St. Laurent lives in London with 

her son Miles — who enjoys leftovers and is 

the official taste tester for Bake Shop Studio 

— and her partner, Tim. 

Suzy Schlotzhauer 

Pastry Chef/Owner, AO Pasta, Stratford 

aopasta.com 


Suzy Schlotzhauer is making a big move 

this year. She and her husband and business 

partner, Kris, and their new partner, Tom 

Van Oosterhout, are moving their successful 

restaurant AO Pasta to a great new location 

 

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Regional Office: 31 Nottinghill Gate, Suite 203, Oakville 

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in downtown Stratford. They have been in 

business since June 2018. 

AO Pasta, taken from the initials of 

the couple’s two children, has created a 

comfortable, informal dining experience that 

welcomes families, date nights and take out. 

They are filling a gap between fine dining and 

fast food. 

Suzy says they weren’t really thinking about 

moving but this great opportunity came up. 

Now they will be closer to the theatre and 

have more dining and kitchen space. Suzy is 

also looking forward to being more involved 

this year. “I am excited to get back in the 

kitchen after having kids,” she says. 

Suzy is originally from Calgary and 

trained as a pastry chef at the International 


Culinary Centre in New York City. She and 

Kris worked for many years at a variety of 

fine dining restaurants in Toronto before 

moving back to Kris’s hometown of Stratford 

to open their own place. Suzy says she will 

be “focusing on Italian desserts using fresh 

and simple ingredients.” She will be making 

the pasta every day to go with AO’s made to 

order sauces, as well as baking most of the 

bread in house. 

AO Pasta has been in Stratford for a short 

time, but is already a local favourite. For the 

last two years Suzy and Kris have participated 

in the fund raiser Empty Bowls for the House 

of Blessing. AO Pasta opens on Wellington 

Street this April. 

Jean Vedova 

Innkeeper/Owner, Kettle Creek Inn, Port 

Stanley 

kettlecreekinn.com 


The original structure dates to 1849. After 

extensive renovations we opened the inn in 

1983 offering dining and accommodations. We 

renovated again in 1990. For over 35 years we 

have provided everything from fine dining to 

great pub fair. Our latest project has been the 

creation of a “people-watching patio” along 

the front sidewalk. 

The bottom line stops with me. I have done 

everything from waitressing to marketing 

to being the CFO. Just don’t put me in the 

kitchen. I am the planner and worry wart. 

It gives me incredible pleasure when guests 

tell me how much they enjoy our amazing 

cuisine and genuine hospitality, or when 

they say how much they enjoyed their luxury 

suite. I love it when newcomers are pleasantly 

surprised that we are much more than what 

is apparent from the street, and greeting 

repeat guests who are now bringing their 

grandchildren. 

The food/drink industry is becoming more 

complicated. It is difficult to get trained staff 

with the same passion as you. If you have a 

culinary talent you are in an ideal position. 

But you need to keep a sense of humour and 

love what you do! 

I left Cape Breton, headed to Alberta, 

ended up in Ontario, opening the inn. That 

started an incredible adventure in the tourism 

industry from local organizations in Elgin 

County to helping establish the Ontario Finest 

Inns organization. I have travelled the world 

by bike and kayak, but having the inn is what 

has given me that zest for life.


Cindy Walker 

Chocolatier/Owner, Chocolatea, Ingersoll 

chocolatea.ca 


Featuring 

Creative Menus 

from Chefs 

Erryn Shephard 

& Ben Sandwith 

Ladies 

Nights for 

Breast & Colon 

Cancer 

March 24, 25 & 26 

Always Available 

for Caterings! 

Chocolatea is a retail shop that sells ethicallytraded 

tea and makes in-house handcrafted 

chocolates. Our chocolates are made 

from scratch in small batches using fresh 

Seasonal Hours 

Always Closed Monday 

Reservations Recommended 

519.238.6224 

42 Ontario St. S., Grand Bend 

www.finearestaurant.com 

Benmiller Inn & Spa 

escape the ordinary 

55 Unique Guest Rooms 

Four Diamond Dining & Accommodation 

Indoor Heated Pool, Hot Tub & Sauna 

Getaways, Conferences & Weddings 

25 Acres of Scenic River & Countryside 

Renewing Petit Aveda Spa 

519.524.2191 

1.800.265.1711 

www.benmiller.ca 

81175 Benmiller Line 

Goderich ON N7A 3Y1


ingredients. The chocolate flavours change by 

season, or, just because! 

We educate people with their tea choices as 

all teas are not the same. We are passionate 

about the region and telling the local food 

story through our chocolates. Quality, 

freshness and authentic ingredients make 

our chocolates unique. This paired with 

sustainable, high quality Belgian chocolate 

allows us to offer a truly unique product. 

Customer satisfaction is key! We enjoy 

chatting with travellers and locals alike. 

Behind the scenes I love to experiment with 

new flavour combinations in the chocolate. 


Sometimes people are skeptical until they 

try it! Lime and basil are a combination that 

puzzles many. 

Chocolatea just celebrated our 5th anniversary. 

I recently started Truffle Camp which has 

become a hit. We have been nominated and I 

am a finalist with Ontario’s Southwest for an 

Innovation Award. Without trying I have created 

a following that has people driving from 

other areas strictly for my chocolate. 

I would say, you love what you do and have 

a personal support system, take the leap of 

faith. Translate the love into your business 

and your customers will love it too. 

Maryam Yaro Wright 

Chef/Owner of YaYa’s Kitchen, London 

yayaskitchen.ca 



Co-founder and chef/owner Maryam Yaro 

Wright of YaYa’s Kitchen arrived in Canada 

in 2014. After three weeks in Toronto, she 

and her husband were off to Baker Lake in 

Nunavut for five years, where she worked as 

a Lands Administrator. It was a culture shock 

coming from Tula, Gombe State, Nigeria, 

where daytime temperatures can exceed 

45 °C degrees, to Nunavut, where winter 

temperatures can drop to -50° C. 

It was in Nunavut that Maryam learned how 

to fish. With her husband, she started hosting 

community-building dinners highlighting local 

fish and also game hunted by her husband, 

which she prepared with authentic Nigerian/ 

Sahel spices for community dinners. 

After five years in Nunavut and with 

Maryam pregnant with her third child, the 

family relocated to London and purchased a 

house, sight unseen. They decided to continue 

hosting their traditional dinner and posted 

the event on Facebook. The response was 

surprisingly positive and 20 people attended 

their first dinner. This was the beginning of 

YaYa’s Kitchen, which has since evolved into 

a chef-driven, community-building pop-up 

featuring a multi-course meal for 40 people. 

The experience is unique because it features 

a family-style communal table and storytelling, 

with an elevated dining atmosphere where 

patrons dress semi-formally. The focus of the 

evening is on food and conviviality. You’ll be 

introduced to each course by the host of the 

pop-up. Maryam and a team of volunteers cook 

and serve the meal based on the authentic 

Black experience. The bi-monthly cultural 

experience takes place at the London Food 

Incubator in Old East Village. 

Wright is the eldest of four siblings and 

now has four children of her own. YaYa’s 

Kitchen means “older sister’s kitchen” in 

Hausa, one of over 300 Nigerian languages. 

Wright has been cooking since she was eight 

years old and grew up surrounded by the 

diverse flavours of Nigerian/Sahel cuisine. 

The dishes find inspiration in the diversity of 

cuisines and specialties from the hundreds of 

ethnic groups that comprise Nigeria. Maryam 

explains, “You can go from one village to 

another, or just down the road, and the food is 

entirely different.”

Simply the finest authentic Italian cuisine 

available in the region! 



• Family-Owned & Operated 

• Beautiful patio on Thames River 

• Catering and 2 well-appointed 

Private Function Rooms available 

• Family-friendly 

(Kids Menu Available) 

From-scratch cooking with 

the best local ingrendients 

231 King Street West, Chatham 

519-360-1600 

Open for Dinner Daily / Lunch Monday-Saturday 

mammamariasristorante.ca


Sylvia Zietek 

Owner, Pierogi Queen, London 

pierogiqueen.ca 


Sylvia Zietek was born and raised in London, 

Ontario and went to Catholic Central High 

School before heading to Ottawa to study 

linguistics, which led her to explore her love of 

language and culture. She backpacked through 

Europe and Central and South America, 


learning about different cultures and cooking. 

Zietek worked in various restaurants for a 

decade, mainly in London and Port Stanley. 

She worked in front-ofhouse and back-ofhouse 

positions as well as management for 

Casey’s, Kelseys, and GT’s On the Beach. 

Last year, equipped with a reliable business 

and marketing plan, Zietek launched Pierogi 

Queen, her chef-driven indie food truck, 

offering an innovative from-scratch local 

menu. Food trucks are incubators for culinary 

innovation and Zietek, a natural entrepreneur, 

completed a year-long certificate program 

for startups at Fanshawe College. Later she 

immersed herself in the College’s Leap IN 

Incubator, a nine-week summer program that 

focuses on mentorship and business growth 

and supports startups with seed funding and 

one-on-one in-depth business analysis. 

Pierogi Queen is part of the London 

Food Truck Association, a talented group 

of dedicated food truck owners who work 

together to support each other and grow the 

local food truck scene. 

Zietek was taught how to make pierogi from 

her Babcia (Grandma) at five years old and 

learned other traditional Polish dishes from 

her mother. Zietek offers an always-evolving 

menu with a selection of flavourful pierogis 

such as her grandmother’s classic potato and 

cheddar, jalapeño cheddar, buffalo chicken and 

apple pie. She has the flexibility of being able 

to create new flavours based on the seasonality 

and local ingredients. At Heeman’s Food Trucks 

on the Farm last September, Zietek also served 

schnitzel and cabbage rolls. Those will be 

regular menu items this year when she is back 

on the road in mid-April. 

Profile Contributors 

BRYAN LAVERY, Eatdrink Food Editor and Writer at 

Large, brings years of professional experience in the 

restaurant and hospitality business, as a chef, restaurant 

owner ,and partner in the culinary experience and 

consulting business, Lavery Culinary Group. Always on 

the lookout for stories Eatdrink should be telling, he helps 

shape the magazine under his byline and behind the scenes. 

NANCY LOUCKS-MCSLOY is a freelance writer who 

loves cooking and entertaining. Her work has appeared 

in Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Fur-Bearing Trout and 

Other True Tales of Canadian Life, McLean’s, Vitality, 

Eatdrink, and many other publications. 

SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD is a freelance writer and 

regular contributor to Eatdrink. Read more of Sue’s work 

on her blog. www.speranzanow.com 

MELISSA GRAHAM has waitressed, bartended, 

managed, dishwashed, food prepped, and catered while 

also working as an actor. She taught ESL for many years, 

worked in new play development, and currently teaches 

Writing and Communications at Stratford Chefs School. 

KYM WOLFE is a freelance writer and speaker based in 

London. Whether people read her articles or books, attend 

a presentation or take a walking tour, she hopes that they 

will learn something interesting, entertaining or useful, 

and will consider it time well spent. www.kymwolfe.com

eatdrink: The Local Food 

WIN 

& Drink Magazine 


A LOCAL FLAVOUR 

OVERNIGHT TRIP 

to 

CHATHAM-KENT 

A Luxurious Road Trip 

for Two! 

Use of a beautiful Lexus automobile 

Accommodations at the Retro Suites Hotel 

Wine Tasting at Early Acres Estate Winery 

• Dinner for two at Mamma Maria’s Ristorante 

Go to localflavour.ca/contests to enter and for complete details. 

Contest runs until September 1, 2020. Dates are subject to availability. Prize has no cash value.



Beer 

Ladies’ Entrance 

This Way to the Brewhouse 

By GEORGE MACKE 

That image of plaid-wearing 

30-something men with big, bushy 

beards selling 

you a bitter 

IPA? Forget about it. 

The craft beer 

industry is ready for a 

woman’s touch. 

“I think that women 

have more of an impact 

on the craft beer industry 

than ever before in the 

history of the beer,” said Erica Hughes, General 

Manager of Upper Thames Brewing and the 

Brickhouse Brewpub in Woodstock. “There is so 

much opportunity for different styles of beer, 

using local ingredients, supporting other small 

businesses, collaboration and networking — 

all of which I believe are attractive to women. 

There has been a shift!” 

Hughes was in the franchise restaurant and 

hospitality industry for 10 years before making 

the switch to what was then a new craft brewery. 

“I didn’t know much about the craft beer 

industry, but what my past franchised world 

taught me was valuable: managing people, 

marketing, and policies and procedures. The 

question was, could I have a passion for the 

craft beer industry?” 

“Quickly the stars 

aligned and I was shifting 

my career to be 

general manager of the 

fastest growing and 

most exciting local business 

in Oxford County. 

I was now part of this 

A vintage sign indicating the bar door that women could 

enter through — if they were accompanied by a man. growing business, in a 

predominantly malerun 

operation, that I didn’t know much about.” 

“Luckily, I had a team of owners/bosses 

that gave me full autonomy with my ideas, 

input, and suggestions for their business. 

I started doing what I knew best, asking 

questions and becoming immersed in what 

would turn out to be a dream job. I learned 

quickly that the craft beer industry was not 

so cutthroat, but more collaborative, helpful 

and open on best practices.” 

It was only 50 years ago that women going 

out for a drink had to enter hotels through a 

designated “ladies and escorts” door. [This had 

nothing to do with paid escorts. Women had 

to be accompanied .wby a male companion or 

were barred from entering.] 

It made news in Toronto 

in 1971 when a singles bar 

opened in Toronto and 

women could legally enter 

unescorted. 

For decades, big beer 

companies used bikini-clad 

women to sell their products 

to the target audience — men. 

General Manager Erica Hughes 

(left) and Taproom Supervisor 

Vanessa Taylor help run Upper 

Thames Brewing and the 

Brickhouse Brewpub in Woodstock


“Women can drink and enjoy beer, too,” 

Hughes said. “And that hasn’t been the 

belief historically. Instead, women have been 

used as marketing tools to attract men and 

increase sales, a trend that occurred with the 

big domestic brands. I think that it’s most 

absurd that the belief at one time was that 

beer wasn’t meant for women to drink and if 

they did, it wasn’t proper or acceptable, but it 

was perfectly acceptable to use their beauty to 

attract men to drink it.” 

Still, craft breweries throughout Canada and 

the United States have had their share of marketing 

missteps when trying to come up with 

edgy or punny beer names such as Big Tiddy 

Assassin, Wailing Wench, Chunky Gal Amber, 

Midnight Sun Panty Peeler, and Poly gammy 

Porter. Craft brewers today aim higher. 

“Beer labels and can designs lead to a big 

opportunity to be more creative than ever 

before,” Hughes said. “The flashiest, welldesigned, 

or most attractive label or logo on the 

shelf are what people are drawn to. These labels 

appeal to both genders and are a breakthrough 

in being inclusive of both sexes. Gone are the 

days of selling beer with sex appeal.” 

It’s not just in beer names and label design 

that women are placing craft beer on the high 

road. Brew development has become a key role. 

“There are beers being created every day 

that either have women in mind as the target 

or are being created by a woman based on her 

tastes or desires in a beer,” Hughes said. They 

range from low-alcohol fruity beers all the way 

up the scale to heavy porters and stouts. 

In terms of naming new beers in a way 

that’s catchy and fun for everyone, Hughes 

points to one she had a hand in, Take A Hike 

Dry-Hopped Pale Ale. 

“Take a Hike has gone on to be listed with 

the LCBO and sold all over Ontario,” she said. 


“It’s a close number two seller in our taproom 

and brewpub and is my favourite Upper 

Thames beer. I particularly like the sarcasm 

behind the name, but that it also stays true 

to our brand and our Canadian or outdoor 

theme. ‘Take a hike!’, ‘No! You take a hike!’ — 

I love laughing with people over the double 

meaning in the name.” 

There are brands to which many female 

patrons gravitate. “We have an amazing 

following from both genders at both locations,” 

Hughes said. “If I were to guess, women 

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Katie Anderson-Gautreau is co-owner of Shakespeare 

Brewing Co., in the village of Shakespeare, near Stratford. 

make up approximately 30 to 40 per cent of 

our regular patrons. Craft beer has become a 

hobby. It’s an opportunity for women to be 

on the same playing field as men. We have an 

exclusive mug club — The Voyageur Society — 

with a membership that continuously grows to 

include more and more women.” 

At Shakespeare Brewing near Stratford, 

co-owner Katie Anderson-Gautreau’s interest 

in craft beer was sparked when she and 


husband Ayden toured Europe. 

“[Being in the craft beer business] certainly 

wasn’t something I had thought I would be 

doing in the future, as I was going through 

university,” she said. “I liked beer back then 

but I wasn’t very adventurous. I really started 

to see craft beer as part of my life while Ayden 

and I were in Europe. When we were staying at 

a farm in England that had an on-site brewery 

and a pub over the hill, my appreciation of 

beer really began to grow.” 

“It became a hobby of ours to visit craft 

breweries and try different styles of craft beer. 

When Ayden began working at Bell City we 

knew we wanted to open our own brewery at 

some point, and it was just a matter of learning 

as much as we could until that could happen.” 

Anderson-Gautreau said women — or anyone 

new to craft beer — are initially surprised that 

there are so many different styles available. 

“I find my taste buds are constantly 

changing,” she said. “I go through phases 

where I love IPAs, then lagers, then sours. 

There really is something for every taste bud 

in the craft beer world. The best part about 

craft beer is that the people in the industry 

are passionate about it and are happy to share 

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and DESTINATION CRAFT BREWERY in BLYTH 

40035 BLYTH RD., BLYTH, ON N0M 1H0 1-844-523-4724 WWW.COWBELLBREWING.COM


Katie Anderson-Gautreau with her husband Ayden and 

their two children outside their brewery. 

their knowledge and what they create.” 

She’s noted little divide between the kinds 

of beers women order versus men. 

“For the most part both men and 

women like to try new flavours and styles 

to determine what they like,” Anderson- 

Gautreau said. “Many times those who are 

new to craft beer, men or women, tend to lean 

towards the lighter beers because that may be 

what they are used to. Once they try the beers 


they are surprised by how much they enjoy 

the more bitter beers or the flavours of a dark 

beer like our milk stout.” 

Craft brewery taprooms have nothing in 

common with the smoky hotel barrooms 

of the 1960s and are little like the musicthumping, 

meat market discos of the 1970s 

and 1980s. Many taprooms are set up like 

living rooms or have long, group tables meant 

to be shared with other patrons to encourage 

conversation with each other and the staff, 

including owners and brewmasters. 

“Women just want a place they feel welcome 

and can hang out with their friends, partners, 

or kids. I always feel so much better when 

I go to a brewery and feel like my kids are 

welcome too. It means I can spend my time 

enjoying and appreciating my beer rather than 

worrying about the kids.” 

“I think in general, everybody likes a 

judgment-free zone when they go to a craft 

brewery, whether they are new to craft beer or 

a craft beer enthusiast.” 

GEORGE MACKE is a Southwestern Ontario craft beer 

explorer who spends too much time at the LCBO and craft 

breweries.



Wine 

A Winemaker with Strong Roots 

Tanya Mitchell of Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery 

By GARY KILLOPS 

It was about 12 years ago on my first 

visit to Sprucewood Shores Estate 

Winery that I met Tanya Mitchell, the 

winemaker at the family owned and 

operated winery located on the shores of 

Lake Erie just outside of Amherstburg. At 

that time, she was Ontario’s youngest female 

winemaker. The wines she was making then 

were very good. And they continue to get 

better every year. 

Tanya has grown up with the Ontario wine 

industry. She is now married with children 

and balances family with work and is a mentor 

to future female winemakers looking to follow 

her path. 

gk: How did you become the winemaker for 

Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery? 

tm: Our family was developing the concept 

for the winery during the last year of my 

Chemical Engineering degree. I took the 

opportunity to spend a harvest at Henry 

of Pelham since it was close to McMaster 

University. This taught me a lot about the lab 

analysis and gave me a glimpse into the cellar. 

Mostly, it developed a very strong interest in 

the winemaking side of the business for me. 

It was perfect timing for me to jump right 

in from the ground up in something I was 

passionately curious about. Turns out, it was 

the perfect career for me in so many ways. 

gk: Your family has always owned the winery. 

How did it all begin? 

tm: The vineyard land was purchased back 

in the 1970s by my parents Hannah and 

Gord Mitchell, and our first vineyard plot 

was planted by hand, by us and our closest 

relatives, in the late 1980s. I still remember 

that day so well, my first real glance at the 

hard work ahead of us. What I didn’t realize 

at the time, was how incredible a feat my


parents had already accomplished, and 

just how far these vines would take us. We 

planted strong roots for our family to grow 

a business and a reason to always keep us 

working together. 

gk: What interests you the most about wine? 

tm: It is a living thing, constantly changing, 

and surprising me. It always keeps me on 

my toes. Bonus, it tastes great and when 

someone loves my products, I glow in the 

praise. There is a lot of hard work that goes 

into every bottle, so it’s wonderful when it’s 

received well. 

gk: What are you trying to achieve with your 

wines? 

tm: I always aim to produce small batch 

wines that focus on showcasing the vibrant 

fruit and crisp flavours of Ontario wines. 

The wines I produce are approachable, 

quality and dependable products that are 

meant for everyone to enjoy. I produce 

a large range of styles and varietals, so 

any customer will find something they 

love when they visit, or pick up a bottle 


off the shelf. I enjoy playing around with 

different styles, and trying new ways of 

making wine, using new technologies, and 

incorporating old techniques together in 

the best way possible. Our newest venture 

with appassimento wines excites me and 

our customers are loving it! 

gk: What grape varietal do you find the most 

exciting and challenging, both for drinking 

and production? 

tm: Cabernet sauvignon. We can ripen these 

incredible grapes down our way in our warm 

and sunny long summers. I love the colour 

of the grapes and the hardy skins on them, 

they are a pleasure to ferment and make into 

wine. It’s often delicious on its own, but also 

a wonderful compliment to many wines in 

a blend, providing the backbone and tannic 

structure that so many other varieties lack. 

The challenge with this fruit is getting the 

plants through the cold winters. 

gk: What is your favourite part of the 

winemaking process? 

tm: Harvest! When the grapes arrive. The 

Our Wine, Your CREW 

The new CREW Winery & Gallery is officially open! 

The tasting bar is open year round, and a new galley 

lunch menu launches March 4. Taste local wines, see 

original art, and take in our vineyard views. 

Colchester Ridge Estate Winery 

108 Essex County Road 50, Harrow ON 

519-738-9800 

@crewinery



tm: Yes … run away and never 

return! Just kidding. Honestly, 

yes 15 years of advice would have 

been great. I’m still learning 

every day and I am 15 years into 

my practice. Thankfully I worked 

with many skilled winemakers 

in the early years to help develop 

my craft. 

smell of them pouring into the vats. The 

smell of a perfect white fermentation. The 

snap decisions required during such a chaotic 

time. Watching the incredible change a wine 

undergoes in only a few days and watching it 

develop slowly over years after that. 

gk: Is there any advice you wish you got 

before you started making wine? 

gk: Are there varietals that grow 

better in Lake Erie North Shore 

than other regions? 

tm: Cabernet sauvignon, cabernet 

franc and baco noir are incredible 

down here. We have the longest 

growing season and the highest 

heat units of anywhere in Ontario. 

gk: What advice do you have for a woman 

wanting to get involved in the wine 

business today? 

tm: If you want something, go for it. If you 

have a strong interest in science, math and 

most importantly a strong passion for wine 

— and you don’t mind physical work, some 

Visit Ontario’s Only Beachfront Winery! 

Open Daily 

Year Round 

11am-5pm 

www.sprucewoodshores.com 

519-738-9253 

Quality Craft Wines Available at the LCBO


long days and getting your hands (and feet!) 

wet — it’s the most rewarding career you 

could ever ask for. 

gk: Where are women going to be in this 

industry in the next 10 years? 

tm: Everywhere, like they already are, in 

every facet of the business. 

gk: Does being a woman have any bearing on 

winemaking? 

tm: Our senses can be different from men, 

which can reflect in the styles of wines 

we produce. Our physical strength and 

endurance play an important role in the 

production side. 

gk: How do you maintain a work/life/family 

balance? 

tm: The support of my family and staff have 

enabled me to continue to pursue this timeand 

mind-consuming career. It has been 

quite challenging at times, especially during 

harvest and bottling time. Challenging for 

both me and my husband, who I am very 


grateful to for all the extra work he puts 

into our family during my busy seasons. 

gk: Anything else you would like to add? Proud 

moments at the winery? Perhaps info on any 

upcoming projects that you can share? 

tm: I have been working on a project with 

my brother Steve for a few years now, 

getting into production of appassimento 

wines and it has been a very challenging, 

but extremely rewarding pursuit. We have 

a wine out right now that I am very proud 

of, and it is getting an incredible reception 

from our customers. 

Overall, I consider myself lucky to have 

been given the rewarding and challenging 

opportunity to run my own business with 

my family and I look forward to the many 

years ahead, especially when our young 

ones start to join in on the fun. 

GARY KILLOPS is a CAPS Certified Sommelier 

who loves to talk, taste, and write about wine. He 

shares his tasting notes on EssexWineReview.com 

Lifting Spirits and Sales 

VQA Wines, Craft Beer and Cider 

Import Wines not available in LCBO 

Contact me if you’re thirsty 

to learn about unique 

farm to glass experiences 

for your home, business 

or special occasion. 

inspiirit.ca 

Tina Roberts 

troberts@inspiirit.ca



The BUZZ 

Culinary Community Notes 

New and Notable 

London 

London Training Centre is providing the Culinary 

Pre-Apprenticeship program again this year 

starting April 6. This six-month, full-time program 

includes four months of instruction and two 

months of paid placement at area restaurants and 

food establishments. Fully funded by the Ontario 

Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development 

(no cost to students) it is an ideal opportunity 

for 12 students seeking to launch their culinary 

careers. There is a competitive application process. 

lonndontraining.on.ca 

Chef Dave Lamers of Abruzzi and Taverna 1331 won 

Food Day Canada gold again in 2019. He will be 

heading to NYC with the other winners to represent 

Canada at James Beard House in May. 

Chef Logan Withers, formerly of Abruzzi Ristorante, 

is leading the culinary team at Dave Lamers and 

Rob D’Amico’s new Taverna 1331, at 1331 Hyde Park 

Road, taverna1331.ca 

Now that Blackfriars Bridge has reopened, 

it’s a perfect time to return to Betty Heydon’s 

acclaimed Blackfriars Bistro. Heydon and her 

team recently celebrated a 24th anniversary. One 

of the city’s most respected caterers, the culinary 

team at Blackfriars prepares innovative, seasonal 

blackboard specials with cutting-edge menus that 

respect tradition. Be sure to try Betty’s signature 

savoury Stilton cheesecake with heritage greens 

— it’s a classic. 46 Blackfriars St., 519-667-4930, 


Katana Kafé & Grill is switching things up again 

for the season, with new menus launching March 

12. They are continuing the popular “Half-price 

Bottle of Wine Wednesdays” and $5 16 oz pints of 

beer on Thursdays. There have been many aesthetic 

changes at Katana over the past year or so, with 

more changes coming soon. katanakafe.ca 

Updates from Grace Restaurant: Bartender Myles 

Davis qualified for the finals in the “Made with 

Love” cocktail competition which will be held in 

Toronto in April. Grace will hold a monthly drag 

brunch starting in March. Sunday Dinners in March 

will include Maple Sugar Shack on March 1 and a 

collaboration with Nuts for Cheese on March 15. 

215 Dundas Street, 226-667-4822, gracelondon.ca 

The landmark Budapest Restaurant has been 

operating since 1956 and will celebrate its 64th (!) 

birthday on March 17. 348 Dundas Street, 519-439- 

3431, budapestrestaurant.com 

Paradigm Spirits Co. is being created by passionate 

craft spirit entrepreneurs with a vision to build a 

distillery within the new 100 Kellogg Lane. (100 

Kellogg Lane is the ongoing transformation of the 

former Kellogg’s cereal plant into a million-squarefoot 

hub for tenants, workspaces, entertainment and 

attractions, such as Powerhouse Brewing Company.) 

Paradigm will produce quality spirits showcasing 

the bounties of our region and people, by blending 

age-old tradition with new flavours and methods. 

Spirits authorities from whisky ambassadors to


bourbon stewards, they bring years of experience 

and certifications to the table. Lively and interactive 

cocktail classes are designed to inform participants 

about the art of crafting cocktails, the use of bar 

tools, and classic ingredients like bitters and tonic. 

Paradigm is expected to open in late May 2020. 

paradigmspirits.com 

Locomotive Espresso recently celebrated its 6th 

anniversary. Co-owner Jill Wright tells us, “The 

second location in the Old South neighbourhood, 

Locomotive Espresso South is coming along. 

Follow at Locomotiveespresso on Instagram for 

updates on a soft opening in late April.” 519-601- 

3896, locomotiveespresso.com 

Wolfe Pack Company Bar is located next door 

to the popular breakfast spot Little Bird. In 

the middle of Wortley Village it is accessible, 

welcoming and convivial with inspired cuisine 

such as house-made charcuterie and seasonal or 

artisanal items in limited quantities, in order to 

maintain a high level of quality. The resto seats 

about 60 customers, and will include two patios, 

one seating an additional 45 patrons, and another 

30 seats at the front of the restaurant. The menu 

is reminiscent of the best of the former Wolfe of 

Wortley, but scaled-down and more accessibly 

priced. 145 Wortley Road, 226-663-4567 

Above the new Wolfe Pack Company Bar in Wortley 

Village is the boutique Bake Shop Studio. You 

can visit during retail hours, and by appointment 

on Tuesdays. Everything is made in-house from 

scratch. If you can’t come during retail hours, or 

have trouble with the stairs, the gluten-free and 

vegan cupcakes are offered across the street at 

the new Wortley Café (formerly Fire Roasted.) 145 

Wortley Road (Upper) bakeshopstudio.com 

Building on the momentum around urban 

experiential tourism, Growing Chefs! Ontario 

is excited to invite you into the HQ where a 

spectacular culinary adventure has been created: 

Food, Fire, Feast! This experience is based on 

the highly successful children’s education 

programming, where participants explore how food 

systems work through the largest school-based 

food education project in Ontario. Through this 

tremendously unique experience you will cook 

your way through an extensive “tour” of London 

and Middlesex County. Led by the award-winning 

Growing Chefs! Ontario Chef Team, you will improve 

your culinary skills using seasonal ingredients, 

wildcrafted foods, invasive species and native 

Ontario plants and be introduced to feature 

products from unique local farms and producers. 

The experience promises to keep a strong focus on 

Come Experience Our World! 

Award Winning Artisan Cheese 

NOW OFFERING! Affinage 101 

A hands-on behind-the-scenes experience 

• Visit the aging room where cheese is cured 

• Taste the changes in flavour as the cheese cures 

• Discover steps to judge cheese quality and taste 

• Create a delicious Gunn’s Hill fondue from scratch 

• Find details and register on our website 

445172 Gunn's Hill Rd, Woodstock, ON 

519-424-4024 

www.gunnshillcheese.ca 

Boutique Bakery 

Buttercream Cakes, 

Cookies and 

French Macarons 

Open for Walk-in Purchases 

WED–FRI 11–6pm • SAT 10am–3pm 

closed sun/mon/tues 

145 Wortley Road, London 

Upstairs—above the new Wolfe Pack Company Bar 

bakeshopstudio.com



sustainable sourcing and zero-waste. It will launch 

in the spring of 2020, growingchefsontario.ca 

Lavery Culinary Group’s Forest City Culinary 

Experiences’ team of culinary insiders brings 

together groups of visitors for intimate, immersive 

culinary and cultural experiences. Attend one of the 

culinary pop-ups, cooking classes, and dinners, or 

book an experience like the “Covent Garden Market 

Gastro Tour.” They also offer an interactive culinary 

and cultural tour centred on and around the Forks 

of the Thames with partners such as Museum 

100% Local — from Our Farmers to Your Table 

Hormone & Drug-Free 

Ontario Beef, Pork, Bison, Lamb & Chicken 

THE VILLAGE 

MEAT SHOP 

LOCAL - NATURAL - QUALITY 

WE ARE YOUR LONDON OUTLET FOR 

• Metzger Meat Products • Lena’s Lamb 

• Blanbrook Bison Farm • Little Sisters Chicken 

• Glengyle Farm Organics 

The Market at Western Fair District: SAT 8–3; SUN 10–2 

226-376-6328 • www.thevillagemeatshop.ca 

More than just a Coffee Shop! 

Over 200 Flavour Shot Flavours 

Loose Leaf Tea • Espresso • Lattes 

Cappuccino • Iced Coffee 

Baked Goods–even Keto sweets 

–and so much more! 

Ask 

about our 

Catering & Event 

Space! 

Homemade ice cream including dairy free, vegan and Keto! 

Dessert Waffles, Smoothies & other new items coming soon! 

Pour Over Coffee Bar Open 7 Days a Week 

creambeanerycafe.com 

London, Rhino Bakery & Lounge, and Eldon House. 

Or simply explore downtown London on one of two 

soon to be launched “Asian Culinary Experiences.” 

forestcityculinaryexperiences.ca 

Covent Garden Market, established in 1845, is 

the longest historical link to London’s culinary 

history. Several merchant families have served the 

market public for generations. Hasbeans follows 

a Smith family tradition that began in the 1880s. 

The coffee business is a hands-on enterprise with 

the hospitable Joel McMillian running the daily 

operations. Glenda and Danielle (Smith Cheese 

+ Glenda’s) offer over 250 varieties of cheese. 

Havaris Produce has been a market staple since 

1910. Covent Garden Market also houses take-away 

restos such as the New Delhi Deli, The Salad Bowl, 

Mercado Burrito and Thai Delight (the green, 

yellow and red curry combos are a market staple.) 

Mark Kitching’s Waldo’s On King is where you 

will find the best organic burger, sourced from the 

eponymous Mark’s Meats (his stand-alone shop 

in the Market that carries a wide range of certified 

organic and grass-fed meats, seafood and other 

items) and one of the very best Caesar salads in 

town. Chris Doris (Doris Produce) and restaurateur 

Greg Efstatheu operate Olive R Twists, and nestled 

into the Market Lane side of the building, Tanakaya 

Japanese Restaurant offers made-to-order sushi 

rolls, sashimi, teriyaki, tempura and bento boxes. 

The International Bakery, a prominent vendor for 

over 40 years, provides pastries, cakes, breads, 

and Italian-inspired staples. Petit Paris Crêperie 

& Pâtisserie is an excellent example of the French 

pastry tradition, and is located at the King Street 

entrance of the market. Petit Paris offers macarons, 

personalized cakes and pâtisseries, made from 

scratch and crafted with premium ingredients. 

Next door try the Coop Rotisserie for some of the 

best chicken in the city. We are also fans of Mona`s 

Shawarma & Grill and her Middle Eastern fare, and 

are especially partial to her falafels, shawarma 

New 2nd Location! 

22469 Adelaide Rd, Mt Brydges 

226-490-0301 

825 Southdale Rd W, London 

519-652-1607 

PATIO 

OPEN!


and varieties of hummus. Sample one of Zoran 

Sehovac’s hand-made Balkan-inspired savoury 

bureks from the Hot Oven. These classic spiralled, 

savoury spinach and cheese or meat-stuffed 

pastries attract a loyal following. 130 King Street, 

coventmarket.com 

Dining at T.G. Haile’s Addis Ababa Restaurant 

is characterized by the ritual of breaking injera 

(the traditional yeast-risen flatbread which is 

spongy in texture, crêpe-like in appearance and 

has sourdough tanginess) and sharing food from a 

communal platter, signifying the bonds of loyalty 

and friendship. For more than 15 years T.G.’s Addis 

Ababa has offered a tour de force from the Ethiopian 

culinary repertoire with classic East African dishes. 

465 Dundas Street (at Maitland), 519-433-4222, 

tgsaddisababarestaurant.com 

Mainsay Visouvath and Fouzan (Rafael) Beg’s 

Thaifoon Restaurant continues to distinguish 

itself as the premier Thai restaurant in town with 

authentic and exuberant flavours, craft cocktails, 

ambience and stellar service. The recently 

renovated restaurant is a multi-sensory experience 

with a modern and elevated take on Thai culture. 

The dining room is sleek, fresh and modern. Recent 

visits have exceeded all of our expectations. 

thaifoonrestaurant.com 

Anna and Stelios Papadopoulos arrived in 

Mississauga from Greece in 2012, with son Kosta 

and daughter Marina, and later relocated to 

London. Anna says, “Wortley Village feels like 

a true village,” not unlike their home in Greece, 

where coffeehouses, restaurants and roasters are 

prevalent. By roasters, Anna means roasters of 

fresh nuts. Unimpressed by the roasted bulk nuts 

they sampled in Canada, Stelios envisioned bringing 

a bit of Greece to Wortley Village. They imported 

a unique Greek-designed nut-roasting machine 

from Germany. On Canada Day 2016, Karpos 

Dry Fruits and Nuts was launched in Wortley 

Village. On offer are several Greek food specialties 

and premium olive oil in bulk. Customers are 

encouraged to bring containers for nuts, fruits 

and olive oil. Fresh baklava and spanakopita are 

available for purchase. Entrées such as stuffed 

roasted peppers, dolmathakia, meatballs, chicken 

with potatoes, and avgolemono soup are available 

for takeaway on Tuesdays and Fridays. With the 

unexpected passing of Stelios last year, Anna, 

Kosta, and Marina continue to offer high-quality 

dry fruits and nuts procured globally. They remain 

the only Mediterranean-style roasters for fresh 

nuts in London. 190 Wortley Road, 519-672-5200, 

karposnutsandfruits.weebly.com 

“Reasonably priced, fresh, well-executed 

Ethiopian cuisine ...” — Bryan Lavery, Eatdrink 

Blair Blvd 

Gift 

Certificates 

Available 

London 

International 

Airport 

Oxford St 

• FAMILY FRIENDLY 

• Vegetarian & 

Vegan Options 

• Takeout 

• Catering 

ADDIS ABABA Restaurant 

Tuesday–Sunday 11am–10pm by reservation 

Closed Monday 

465 Dundas Street 519 433-4222 

www.tgsaddisababarestaurant.com 

Far Out ... 

but we like it that way! 

Blueberry Tea 

519-455-9005 

Crumlin Rd 

katanakafe.ca 

2530 Blair Blvd, London 

Diamond Flight Centre 

MON & TUES: Lunch 11–3 

WED, THURS & FRI: Lunch 11–5; Dinner 5–9 

Weekends: Breakfast 9–12, Lunch 12–3, Dinner 5–9

where art is 

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The ORIGINAL 

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ASK US Custom Bakery • Walk-In Orders Available 

ABOUT OUR 

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1305 Riverbend Road, Suite 110 

519-433-CAKE (2253) 

STORE HOURS: Mon–Fri 11–7 

Saturday 10–5 • Sunday 11–4 

Traditional, Real Food. 

Real Good! 

Try our world famous Goulash Soup, Cabbage Rolls, 

Schnitzel, Chicken Paprikash, a Combination Platter, or 

many other mouthwatering Hungarian dishes. 

Gift 

Certificates 

Available 

519-652-9696 

aranka.ca 

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7447 Longwoods Road, London 

Our beautiful country setting is on Longwoods, the continuation of 

Wharncliffe Road, just outside Lambeth 


Pepe’s Filipino Restaurant, named after the 

owner’s father, is located in the premises formerly 

occupied by the Chinese BBQ Restaurant. Dishes 

range from lumpia (fried spring rolls with pork, 

shrimp and vegetables) to arrozcaldo, (a hearty 

Filipino congee made with chicken and rice, 

seasoned with onion, and garlic and served with a 

boiled egg) to the more complex dinuguan (pork 

blood stew with liver pork meat and intestine). We 

enjoyed the Filipino-style pork bbq served with rice 

or sweet potato fries and the Filipino-style chop 

suey with vegetables sautéed in garlic oyster sauce 

with miniscule shrimp and quail eggs. The calamari 

is lightly breaded and fried and served with 

sriracha aioli. 994 Huron Street, 519-601-0375 

Congee Chan offers a large menu of Cantonese 

specialties prepared with fresh high-quality 

ingredients. A favourite is preserved egg congee with 

minced duck. This is traditional Chinese cooking 

combined with Canadian-Chinese versions of modern 

Asian specialties like crispy-sweet and piquant 

General Tao chicken. Congee Chan offers more than 

just congee and noodles. Order the lobster with 

ginger and green onion chow mein, and the clams or 

beef with black bean sauce. 735 Wonderland Road 

North (in the plaza across from Angelo’s), 519-641- 

5686, congeechanrestaurant.com 

Five Fortune Culture House is known for its 

Yunnan-style home cooking with Sichuan and 

Guizhou influences — not a formulaic Chinese 

restaurant serving Anglo-genres conceived by oldstyle 

Taishanese and rural Cantonese immigrants 

who adapted traditional Chinese recipes to 

suit local tastes and available ingredients. 368 

Richmond Street, 226-667-9873 

The Market at Western Fair District is a vibrant hub 

in Old East Village bringing together community, 

food artisans and startups. Two floors and over 100 

vendors make up The Market which operates on 

Saturday and Sundays and features fine retailers 

such as The Village Meat Shoppe, Loco Fields, 

Common Ground, Evi’s Deli, The Butcher’s Wife, On 

the Move Organics, Monforte Cheese, Petojo Food & 

Catering (Indonesian cuisine), Yam Gurung’s Momos 

at the Market (featuring Nepalese Cuisine), Harvest 

Pantry (ferments, preserves, salts and culinary 

tools), Artisan Bakery, Lebanese Bakery and Downie 

Street Bakehouse. Food truck operators Bifana Boys 

and Goodah Gastrotruck have popular booths at The 

Market and recently opened Out of the Deep Seafood 

Co., featuring ethically-sourced and sustainable 

offerings. themarketwfd.com 

Willie’s Café continues to grow and thrive in the 

London Food Incubator. Ian Kennard has expanded


the seating with more tables, comfy chairs and 

a new cozy dining area. There is inexpensive 

municipal parking off of Queens Ave. and customers 

are welcome to use the entrance accessible from the 

parking lot. Willie’s continues to provide catering 

services with a focus on office/corporate lunches. 

630 Dundas Street East, williescafeandcatering.com 

Tina Roberts of Inspiirit is excited about her 

partnership with The Wine Agents, importers of 

great wines you won’t find at the LCBO, to help 

restaurants drive growth by having exclusive VQA 

and imported offerings positions. “Pinot Grigio is 

not a commonly grown wine in the Niagara Region, 

so having a couple in my portfolio is a real coup,” 

says Tina. “It’s such a popular wine and one that 

customers always ask for. My favourite so far is 

from Cantine Monfort in Trentino Italy, and it’s 

their Terre Del Fohn Pinot Grigio. This a very easy 

drinking wine. Almost too easy!” Inspiirit’s products 

are available to licensee, wedding and event venues 

and direct to consumers. Check out their Wine Club 

to. Contact Tina at troberts@inspiirit.ca. 

The goal of the Culinary Federation of Chefs & 

Cooks is to unite chefs and cooks across Canada in 

a shared dedication to professional excellence. The 

Federation was founded in 1963 and incorporated 

in Ottawa as a non-profit association in 1972. It has 

1,200 members nationally. Throughout its history 

as Canada’s most significant federally chartered 

professional chefs’ organization, the name of 

the Federation has undergone several changes 

to recognize the chef’s continually changing 

role in the kitchen and education. Membership 

in the Culinary Federation is available to all 

persons with career paths as a Cook Apprentice, 

Journeyman Cook, Professional Chef/Cook or 

Culinary Professional. Join colleagues from 

London and the surrounding area for the relaunch 

of the London branch of the Culinary Federation. 

This isn’t the same organization that you may 


remember or perhaps have been involved with 

in the past. Contact Chef David Franklin, VP of 

Central Region, for more information about CF 

London. chefdavidfranklin@gmail.com, 226-7065, 

culinaryfederation.ca 

Stratford 

Chef Kris Schlotzhauer and Pastry Chef Suzy 

Schlotzhauer’s restaurant AO Pasta is relocating to a 

bigger and better space this spring (formerly Renee’s 

Bistro) and they are excited about this next chapter. 

With the move, they will be welcoming Tom Van 

Van Simpson - Scotia Wealth Management presents 

April 25, 2020 

at Museum London 

$55 advance / $65 at the door 

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Grand Bend’s Annual Art, Culinary & Music Tour 

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Oosterhout as a partner. AO Pasta will remain closed 

until the projected early April reopening. aopasta.com 

Sobrii 0-Gin is new to Stratford and is Canada’s 

first non-alcoholic gin. Sobrii is distilled in 

Stratford in small batches at Junction 56 

Distillery with zero sugar, zero calories and no 

artificial flavours or sweeteners. Sobrii can simply 

be substituted for gin in most cocktail recipes or 

can be used to create a custom drink. Purchase 

at Bradshaws & Kitchen Detail or Junction 56. 45 

Cambria Street, Stratford. sobrii.ca 

See Facebook for Weekly Specials! 

Lunch Hours Available for Private Events 

Locally Sourced Ingredients 

Authentic Italian Cuisine 

Local Craft Beers 

Regional & Organic Wines from Italy 

Take Out & Gift Certificates Available 

Tuesday–Thursday 4pm–8pm 

Friday & Saturday 11:30am–10pm 

Sunday Brunch 11am–2pm, Dinner 3pm–7pm 

Reservations Recommended 

2135 Dorchester Road, Dorchester 

519-268-0001 

fatolive.ca 


Jobsite Brewing Co. began with a conversation 

between Dave Oldenburger and Phil Buhler during 

a break at a construction site. Their passion for 

construction has turned into a new love for making 

in-house local brews. Stop by for a visit and enjoy 

a pint, flight or a made-to-order wood-fired 

pizza. 45 Cambria Street, Stratford, 519-305-3335. 

jobsitebrewing.ca 

Braai House menus offer a South African-inspired 

cuisine, focusing on open-fire cooking. The menu 

is created by Executive Chef/co-owner, Anthony 

Jordaan, who has been able to highlight some of the 

fantastic flavours that come off of a South-African 

braai, more commonly known as a wood-fired BBQ/ 

grill. Did we mention that they also microbrew their 

own beer onsite? 34 Brunswick Street, Stratford, 

519-271-5647. braaihouse.ca 

Red Lion Room is a cozy, hip lounge in downtown 

Stratford. It offers an extensive menu by Head 

Chef Blake Anderson that includes snacks, shared 

plates, pasta and grilled meats. All kinds of pasta, 

sauces and breads are made in-house. Local 

beers are featured on tap along with hand-crafted 

cocktails. Enjoy live music with your dinner, 

ranging from jazz to classic rock. 23 Albert Street, 

Stratford, 519-272-1776. redlionroom.ca 

Stratford Farmers Market, hosted by The Stratford 

& District Agricultural Society, is one of the oldest 

markets in Ontario. Vendors bring the finest cuts 

of meat, vegetables, fruits, baked goods, coffee, 

craft items and much more. Don’t worry about 

having breakfast before you arrive, and the 

made-to-order BBQ has you covered for lunch with 

sausage or back bacon on a bun. The Market will be 

running until December 19, from 7:00 am – 12:00 

pm. 375 McCarthy Road, Stratford, 519-271-5130. 

stratfordagriculturalsociety.com 

Stratford Chefs School Open Kitchen features 

Cooking with Cannabis! With Canada’s legalization 

Picture Yourself: 

• Relaxing on our patio ... 

• Enjoying lunch, dinner or a snack ... 

• Staying the evening in a room or suite! 

Main Street, Port Stanley 

(519) 782-3388 

www.kettlecreekinn.com 

information@kettlecreekinn.com


of cannabis, more and more people are interested 

in safely exploring its medicinal properties and 

recreational uses. At the SCS Open Kitchen class, 

you will learn how to include the correct cannabis 

oil breakdown, decarboxylation, the benefits of 

infused butter versus oil, purification techniques, 

how to store your infusion, and how to make 

cannabis calculations when cooking. Perfect for 

anyone curious about cooking with cannabis at 

home. 136 Ontario Street, Stratford, 519-271-1414. 

stratfordchef.com/open-kitchen 

A recent expansion has added 20,000 sq ft of 

greenhouses, giving organic grower Loco Fields a 

total of 60,000 sq ft now, just outside Stratford. As a 

supplier to many of the best local restaurants, they 

grow a variety of mixed vegetables, specializing 

in leafy greens, salad mixes, ginger, turmeric, 

over 100 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, peppers, 

specialty potatoes and other roots. Catch them 

at the Market at Western Fair and Stratford’s 

summer Slow Food Market on Sunday, at specialty 

food shops, and online. Cut micros and cut greens 

are now available and sunchokes will be coming 

out of the ground in April. Late summer, a major 

expansion into local ginger and turmeric will be 

harvested. info@locofields.com 

Around the Region 

We lost a dedicated farm-to-table advocate and 

mentor when celebrated chef Michael Potters 

passed away suddenly. A former Londoner, Potters 

was a graduate of Sir Wilfred Laurier University 

and studied Culinary Arts at George Brown 

College. Leading the charge for positive change in 

the restaurant industry, Potters was well-known 

in Ontario’s culinary circles for his decadeslong 

career and influence as a chef, hospitality 

consultant, educator and mentor. Potters’ career 

spanned The Little Inn in Bayfield, co-owner of 

Harvest in Picton, Accolade at Toronto’s Crown 

Plaza, Spoke Club, Hockley Valley Resort, 

Angeline’s Inn in Prince Edward County and Milford 

Bistro. Most recently he was the Executive Director 

of CAPE Private Events in Picton. 

Cowbell Brewing Co. is rolling into spring with 

several exciting new beer releases. Back by 

popular demand is Cowbell Brewing’s Renegade 

Series. Five new, limited-edition, small-batch 

Renegades, featuring bold and exciting flavours, 

will be available on draught and in 473mL cans. 

The first Renegade Series beer will be launching 

exclusively at the Cowbell Farm and online in April. 

For Cowbell fans who cannot wait until April to 

try new brews, Hazy Days, a Hazy Juicy IPA will be 

Bring back “homemade” 

again with Marshall’s Pasta! 

Reunions 

Anniversary 

Parties 

Quality 

Convenient 

Meals 

Healthy Food the Whole 

Family Will Love! 

We Cater! 

Family 

Functions 

& More! 

Birthday 

Parties 

Graduations 

Baptisms 

580 Adelaide St N, London 519-672-7827 

MON–FRI 9:30am–7pm • SAT 9:30am–5pm • SUN 11am–5pm 

Full menu available at marshallspastacatering.ca

Book 

Now for 

Mother’s Day! 

.COM 

Over 300 Handcrafted Blends 

& Fine Spices 

Gourmet Foods • Kitchenware • Artisan Bread 

Local Cheese • Cooking Classes • Gifts 

OPEN DAILY 

223 Colborne St., Port Stanley ON 

519.782.7800 

Sat & Sun. 900 King St., London 

www.peppertreespice.com 


hitting LCBO and grocery shelves in March. Keep 

an eye on Cowbell’s social channels for updates 

on all upcoming beer releases. 40035 Blyth Road, 

cowbellbrewing.com 

The Village Teapot in Ilderton is owned and 

run by Gaynor Deeks and Jana Yassine. Gaynor 

is originally from the UK, Jana from Chatham, 

Ontario. They are tea drinkers, soup and sandwich 

makers, and know a good scone when they see one. 

Located in one of the oldest properties in the town, 

believed to be at least 145 years old, in premises 

that retain many period features. Reservations are 

appreciated. thevillageteapot.ca 

Elio and Kate Caporicci’s Early Bird Coffee is a 

small-batch, wholesale coffee roaster and café 

situated close to where the 401 and 403 meet in 

Woodstock. Their mission is simple, “To provide 

Oxford County with a world-class coffee experience 

by delivering the freshest, best tasting, small-batch 

coffee in the region.” They achieve this by using 

only expertly-roasted, ethically-sourced, premium 

beans. Since its inception, Early Bird Coffee has 

found its way into the homes of many area families, 

as well as onto the shelves of local businesses, such 

as Habitual Chocolate and Beantown Coffee Co. 

815 Juliana Drive, Woodstock, 519-532-3127 

Chef Eric Boyar’s sixthirtynine in Woodstock 

delivers a homegrown Oxford County “from 

scratch” farm-to-table Feast On certified 

experience. An elegant and contemporary dining 

room of 30 seats welcomes guests to a tasteful 

and comfortable atmosphere. Front house service 

is headed by Eric’s wife, Jennifer Boyar, where 

the emphasis is on unpretentious yet attentive 

and professional service. Zach Lebert directs 

the restaurant wine program, which features 

both high quality regional VQA wines and unique 

international wines. Wine selections change 

regularly to suit the current menu. Additional 

seating is available for up to four guests at the 

Chef’s Table, which provides guests an up-close 

look at the talented kitchen crew in action. Service 

is often headed by Sous Chef Sam Vandenberg, who 

ensures guests at the Chef’s Table have an engaging 

and memorable experience. Tasting menus with 

optional wine pairings are available upon request. 

639 Peel Street, Woodstock, 519-536-9602, 

sixthirtynine.com 

Chocolatier and owner of Seed Confections, 

Genevieve Scarfone’s love of all things pastry 

began in her teens. She enrolled in the Culinary 

Management program at Niagara College. Later 

Scarfone worked three summers at a luxury 

golf course resort in Muskoka and spent winter


seasons in Banff as a baker. In 2009 she moved 

to Vancouver, where she began her career as a 

chocolatier learning the nuances of chocolate 

production. While she was working as a sous chef 

at Beta5 Chocolates in Vancouver, the team won 

multiple Canadian and International Chocolate 

Awards. In 2015, she moved home to St. Thomas. 

Before starting Seed Confections she spent months 

travelling the world solo, visiting Indonesia, 

Australia, and New Zealand. It was on this trip she 

created the concept of Seed Confections, which is 

known for its signature macarons. All the desserts 

are fresh, local and delectable. Scarfone has won 

both silver and bronze awards in the Canadian 

portion of the International Chocolate Awards. In 

2018 she won a bronze medal at the International 

Chocolate Awards in Italy for her Cranberry Sage 

bonbons.159 Ross Street, St. Thomas, Ontario, 519- 

207-4060, seedconfections.com 

Steelhead Food Co. offers fresh locally processed 

fish that are cleaned and cut at the Fish and Seafood 

Market. Based in St. Thomas, Steelhead offers a 

selection of premium quality fish, fresh oysters and 

seafood — fresh, frozen, and smoked. 5 Barrie Blvd, 

St. Thomas, 226-237-3474, steelheadfoodco.ca 

The Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation 

(SWOTC) recently announced the finalists for the 

2019 Innovation Awards. Innovator of the Year 

finalists includes the Lavery Culinary Group’s 

Forest City Culinary Experiences, Lambton 

Heritage Museum, and Texas Long Horn Ranch. 

Innovator of the Year award recognizes businesses, 

organizations and leaders that are building the 

tourism industry within Ontario’s Southwest with 

purpose and passion. Innovative Experience of the 

Year finalists includes Culture City X, hosted by 

London Arts Council, Sweetest Smell on Earth – 

Maple Dining Experience, hosted by Richardson’s 

Farm, and Truffle Camp, hosted by Cindy Walker’s 

Chocolatea. The Innovative Experience of the Year 

award recognizes meaningful experiences, events, 

and programming offered to travellers, that tell the 

stories of Ontario’s Southwest. 

The former schoolhouse which houses The 1909 

Culinary Academy was built in that year. Located 

just west of Ayr, the building has been converted 

into a chef-owned private culinary institute with a 

restaurant-style kitchen. Executive Chef Murray 

Zehr offers a lesson in community heritage 

stewardship. Original details include slanted 

blackboards, decorative tin ceiling, lighting 

fixtures, trim, doors, wainscoting, hardwood floors, 

dual entry foyer and the original schoolhouse 

bell. The 1909 Culinary Academy is Canada’s first 

FINE FOOD FOR FINE PEOPLE 

PRIVATE DINING ROOM AVAILABLE 

Book Early for Sunday Brunch! 

G R A C E R E S T A U R A N T 

farm-to-table fine dining downtown 

FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS 

Travel Professionals International 

1131 Nottinghill Gate, Suite 203, Oakville ON, L6M 1K5 

647-689-3884, TICO registration #50013851


EASTER 

BRUNCH! 

April 12 

FLIGHTS & BITES 

HALF PRICE Sharing Plates & Oysters 

Tuesday–Friday from 3:30–5:30pm 

SUNDAY INDUSTRY NIGHTS 

20% OFF! 

Join us for Mother’s Day! Sunday, May 10 

TUES–SAT Lunch & Dinner 11:30am to Close 

SUNDAY Brunch 11am & Dinner 

449 Wharncliffe Road South 

519.914.2699 

Your love of all things Italian begins at 

Gift Cards 

Available 

519-652-7659 • HWY 401 & 4 • pastosgrill.com 

chef training facility with a focus on agriculture 

and hands-on techniques for food cultivation. The 

dinner plate is ever changing. An invitation has 

been extended by the 1909 Culinary Academy for 

a complimentary 3-hour session with Chef Murray 

Zehr, designed specifically for chefs, cooks and 

restaurant managers. Tourism Oxford and SWOTC 

are excited to partner with the Academy to offer 

this free workshop for restaurants on Monday, 

March 9, 1–4 pm. 5183 Trussler Road, Ayr, Ontario, 

the1909culinaryacademy.ca 

Chatham-Kent Tourism, in partnership with 

Grey County Tourism, is hosting the third annual 

Rural Tourism Symposium. This one-day event is 

designed to raise the profile of rural tourism as an 

integral part of the provincial and national visitor 

experience. It targets those in the rural tourism 

industry, and seeks to inspire tourism industry 

professionals to redefine success by leveraging 

up, capitalizing on opportunities and partnering 

for success. Join Chatham-Kent Tourism as they 

host rural tourism stakeholders, destination 

marketing organizations and tourism businesses in 

partnership with Grey County Tourism. Celes Davar 

of Earth Rythms is the keynote speaker. Thursday, 

April 23, 8:30 a.m. –3:30 p.m., Ridgetown College, 

120 Main St E, Ridgetown, chatham-kent.ca/ 

Tourism/rural-tourism-symposium 

The new Huron Waves Music Festival will formally 

announce its inaugural Spring lineup at The White 

Squirrel Golf Club and Restaurant (a Festival 

sponsor) at 5pm on Tuesday, March 10. Artistic 

Director is John Miller, who founded and ran for 

18 years the renowned Stratford Summer Music 

Festival, will bring programming that includes 

four incredible women, each with a unique musical 

perspective. Karen Gibson, founder of Britain’s 

Kingdom Choir that’s famous for her “Stand By 

Me” rendition at the royal wedding of Meagan 

Markle and Prince Harry, brings her Choir for 

performances in Goderich and Exeter and leads an 

open, choral workshop for regional singers and 

conductors. Barbara Croall, an Odawa First Nations 

composer and educator rooted in Anishinaabeg 

traditions, will be Huron Waves’ artist-in-residence 

with aboriginal youth at the Kettle and Stony Point 

Hillside School. Anne Bourne, an Ontario specialist 

in blending Nature’s vibrations with the sounds of 

human voices and musical instruments, will lead 

Deep Listening experiences with walkers along the 

shores of Lake Huron. And Leigh Ann Ryan, a St. 

John’s educator and signing specialist, will bring 

the Newfoundland Deaf Choir to the music festival 

to inspire audible-capable audiences with how the 

partially and totally deaf create their music with


American Sign Language. Huron Waves Music 

Festival will present concerts in Bayfield, Blyth, 

Exeter, Goderich, Grand Bend, Hensall, Zurich and 

points in between, May 7 to 17. Information and 

tickets: huronwavesmusicfestival.ca 

With an eclectic ambience and a contemporary 

take on classic culinary favourites combined 

with unparalleled service, the Chilled Cork offers 

a culinary experience that inspires locals and 

travellers alike. The restaurant is nestled within the 

Retro Suites Hotel’s century-old building located 

on Chatham’s “retro block.” Guests are captivated 

by the welcoming atmosphere and the exposed 

brick walls, iconic pop-culture pieces, original 

modern art and stunning neon. 22 William Street 

South, 519-354-7818, chilledcork.ca 

St. Marys Farmers’ Market is running a pilot for an 

indoor St. Marys Winter Farmers’ Market this year, 

funded by the Libro Prosperity Fund. The winter 

market is open the first Saturday of the month 

from 8 until noon at the St. Marys Legion. Vendors 

include Edible Acres, Sheldon Berries, Forest Hill 

Orchards, Ann Slater, Bradley’s Lamb, Taylor 

Heritage Hogs, Slater’s Organic Meats, FAM Hot 

Sauces, Black Sombrero, Syrian Bakers, Bespoke 

Confections, Martha and Rachel, Breadtopia, 

Pillitteri Estates Winery and Busy Momma. 

stmarysfarmersmarket.ca/winter-market 

Stonetown Artisan Cheese is a purveyor of Swiss 

mountain-style cheeses, hand-crafted by master 

cheesemaker Ramon Eberle. Using unpasteurized 

milk from farmers Hans and Jolanda Weber’s herd 

of Holsteins, Eberle uses raw milk so that the cheese 

ripens as naturally as possible while the flavours 

improve with maturation. Cheeses and other local 

products are available to buy on-site at the farm 

store. 5021 Perth County Line 8 (Kirkton Road), St. 

Marys, 519-229-6856, stonetowncheese.com 

We want your BUZZ! 

Do you have culinary news or upcoming events 

that you’d like us to share? 

Every issue, Eatdrink reaches more than 

50,000 readers across Southwestern Ontario 

in print, and thousands more online. 

Get in touch with us at editor@eatdrink.ca 

Submission deadline for the next issue:April 5 

“Where everyone knows your game” 

New Pro Shop! 

18 Hole Golf Course • Year-round Restaurant / Bar 

whitesquirrelgolfclub.com 

7 km north of Grand Bend on Hwy. 21 

BISTRO • CONFERENCE • SUITES • SPA 

519-565-2576 

Sunday Brunch 

10am–2pm 

Live Music 

thurs & sat 

LakeHouseofBayfield.com



Theatre 

A Captain Hook for Our Time 

Laura Condlln in Wendy & Peter Pan at the Avon Theatre 

By JANE ANTONIAK 

Batten down the hatches theatregoers; 

it is time for a gender switch 

in a classic tale. Meet the 2020 

version of Captain Hook: Laura 

Condlln. She’s ready to rock the boat with a 

female swagger at the Stratford Festival this 

season. “The world needs more female pirate 

stories,” says Condlln. “It’s important to have 

this complex, powerful man portrayed as a 

woman by a woman,” she adds. 

Wendy & Peter Pan is a new adaptation, by 

Ella Hickson, of the J.M. Barrie book, Peter 

Pan. It opens on May 27 at the Avon Theatre 

with previews beginning on April 24. 

In this adaptation Hickson puts an 

emphasis on the women in Peter Pan: 

Wendy, Tink and Tiger Lily. “It’s a female 

kaleidoscope,” says Condlln. She will play 

the Captain as a woman, with the pronouns 

changed and any references to Hook as a 

male removed. “The essence of the Captain 

is female,” says Condlln. “However I am not 

called she or her. I am only called Captain.” 

Her costume includes “killer boots” with heels, 

and she wears pants. “It is sexy, masculine and 

Laura Condlln. Creative direction by Punch & Judy Inc. 

Photography by David Cooper.. 

feminine at the same time. I am not saying I 

am androgynous, but it is interesting. We are 

not in gender fluidity but there is a strong 

person there that is being played as a woman.” 

Directed by Keira Loughran, the story has 

other female plot lines such as Wendy and 

Mrs. Darling fighting for women’s rights, and 

the Lost Boys looking for a mother, whom 

they find in Wendy. “Playwright Ella Hickson 

adapted Barrie’s story with a subversive 

spirit; she believed Neverland belonged to 

Wendy as much as it did to Peter, and she 

actively cracked stereotypes that have been 

propagated through previous adaptations in 

ways that were both hilarious and surprisingly 

moving. I wanted to maintain that spirit 

in our production and Laura embodied it 

perfectly in her Hook. It won her the role; the 

trio of Laura as Hook, Cynthia Jimenez Hicks 

as Wendy, and Jake Runeckles as Peter, really 

anchor the 2020 Canadian première of this 

classic story,” says Loughran. 

Condlln lives full-time in Stratford and she 

tapped a fellow Stratford actor, Jan Alexandra 

Smith (who portrayed Scrooge as a woman 

at the Grand Theatre, 

London in 2018) for some 

gender-switching advice. 

“I saw Jan as Scrooge and 

I have thought about that 

role a lot. Scrooge was a 

woman but she was very 

masculine. This challenge 

is totally thrilling and 

terrifying in equal measure 

for me,” says Condlln. 

Her Captain Hook will 

“push me way outside 

of my comfort zone,” 

says Condlln. “What 

are we as artists if we 

are not treading into 

the unknown? And I 

am so grateful for the


opportunity to do that,” she adds. 

At Stratford, Hook will be hungry for 

possession of power. She will also be obsessed 

with Peter Pan — his youthfulness and 

energy. And she will be melancholy about her 

own aging. Condlln says she will draw on her 

own emotions and parallels about being a 

middle-aged woman in this reflective role. 

“When we hit middle age we are in our 

prime, for sure. Should we be so lucky and 

there is time left, we start looking behind 

us too. There is a beautiful section in this 

adaptation where Hook reveals a deep yearning 

for more time. I’m interested in discovering 

what that means particularly for a woman.” 

Watch for Condlln’s interplay with the 

ticking crocodile, and her regard for Wendy’s 

ambition, and dependence on Tink and Tiger 

Lily. This will be a not-to-miss female pirate 

story in a very special Neverland, reminding 

the audience that the complex desire for 

power is not tied to gender. 

JANE ANTONIAK is a regular contributor to Eatdrink. 

She is also Manager, Communications & Media Relations, 

at King’s University College in London. 

Hurry Hard 

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Books 

Be My Guest 

Reflections on Food, Community and the Meaning of Generosity 

By Priya Basil 

Review by DARIN COOK 

Be my Guest: Reflections on Food, 

Community and the Meaning of 

Generosity (Canongate Books, 

2019) by Priya Basil is an eloquent 

book crafted with the same precision as the 

eye-catching porcelain plate on the front 

cover — gold and cobalt hues on a platter are 

fashioned into garlic, wooden spoons, foliage, 

forks, beans, serving pots, pasta bowls, and 

human hands. The swirling design mesmerizes 

and draws you into the book, where the 

captivation with the visual is replaced by 

an enthralling cascade of words about food, 

religion, culture, love, politics, family, and 

cooking — all set at a global dinner table that 

is clearly Basil’s comfortable place to bring 

thought-provoking ideas. 

Basil is a true global citizen with a melange 

of cultures influencing her tastes as a food 

lover, author, and activist. She was born in 

England to Indian parents who moved to 

Kenya to raise her. Living in Berlin as an adult 

after marrying a German, she now dabbles in 

the Sikhism of her ancestors as it relates to 

treating all humans equally and altruistically 

serving the community. But 

her deepest cravings always 

come back to her mother’s 

cooking, her most favourite 

dish in the world, the essence 

of her mother, the taste of her 

home: the creamy curry dish, 

kadhi. She writes, “Each bite 

holds the flavour of the past 

and the present, a lifetime 

of my mother’s love, her 

unstinting hospitality.” 

Kadhi and many other 

traditional Indian dishes are the 

taste of home for Basil, which 

has unfolded from her maternal 

grandmother’s kitchen. Her 

Author Priya Basil 

grandmother’s 

unconditional 

desire to cook 

for others is 

legendary in 

the family. 

“She wields 

ingredients 

like weapons 

and has 

made food 

the front line in a 

fight for first place in the affections of 

family.” This often meant not letting others 

in on the secrets of her recipes. Even though 

being asked for a personal recipe is the ultimate 

compliment, her grandmother hoarded them 

in her brain and Basil tells us “if she was ever 

cornered into explaining how to make a dish, 

she deliberately left out key ingredients or 

crucial steps.” She never owned a cookbook and 

never wrote down any of her recipes. 

Whether or not a recipe comes from family 

secrets or a cookbook, Basil writes, “The food 

that is cooked for you is imbued with an 

ingredient no recipe can list, 

no culinary sleight of hand 

can substitute: hospitality.” 

In her book, she delves 

deeper into how hospitality 

has many dimensions and is 

not just about inviting guests 

for dinner — although it 

is that in spades for Basil, 

who would undoubtedly 

be an outstanding hostess. 

Hospitality is also about 

accepting refugees fleeing 

from war-ravaged countries 

by giving food, shelter, and 

safety in the welcoming 

arms of another culture or


Destination for the food lover 

Featuring specialty foods, 

kitchenwares, tablewares, 

cooking classes and gift baskets. 

religion. Being a guest in the world means 

having to be a continual host, to address 

the needs of other humans by donating to 

religious charities, volunteering time for 

humanitarian services, feeding the hungry, 

and eliminating as much food waste as we can. 

We are all guests and hosts at differing 

times in our lives. We all must be participants 

in the give and take of life in varying 

circumstances. Basil writes, “The way we 

cook for and eat with others is one of the 

more tangible, quotidian ways of measuring 

generosity.” Food gives us the chance to fall 

into the social arrangements of inviting guests 

to our homes for dinners that represent our 

familial or cultural heritage, or the more 

public display of fighting over a bill at the end 

of a restaurant meal, but all we’re really trying 

to do is make ourselves feel at home wherever 

we have settled. 

115 King St., London Ontario 

jillstable.ca 519-645-1335 

DARIN COOK is a freelance writer based in Chatham 

who keeps himself well-read and well-fed by visiting the 

bookstores and restaurants in London. 

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Recipes 

Taste the Wild 

Recipes and Stories from Canada 

By Lisa Nieschlag and Lars Wentrup 

Review and Recipe Selections by TRACY TURLIN 

Lisa Nieschlag and Lars Wentrup are 

the co-owners of a multi-awardwinning 

communication and design 

agency in Münster, Germany. He also 

illustrates, designs and paints very cool retro 

travel posters. She writes cookbooks, blogs 

about food, and creates beautiful culinary 

photography. 

Sascha is a personal trainer based in 

Münster. He also happens to be an avid 

photographer who posts much of his art on 

Instagram. He and his wife Ninja traveled 

to Canada, documenting the natural beauty 

along the way. The photos and stories they collected 

were the inspiration for Taste the Wild: 

Recipes and Stories from Canada (Lisa Nieschlag 

and Lars Wentrup; Murdoch Books; 2019). 

I enjoy reading cookbooks about Canada, 

especially when they try to expand the 

perception of Canadian food. I’ve been known 

to complain about books that make it look as 

if we spend our days eating blueberries and 

salmon drenched in maple syrup, as if these 

were the only foods our country has to offer. 

My first instinct upon picking up Taste the 

Wild was to dismiss it as one of these. 

Actually, my first thought was that the 

Lisa Nieschlag 

Lars Wentrup 

pictures were 

gorgeous and 

that the photographer 

is a genius. 

Upon 

further 

reading, I 

found that 

the food 

shots 

and the 

ambiance 

photos 

were done by different 

people. Okay, two geniuses. Still, the overdose 

of maple leaves. And a Caesar with tomato 

juice instead of Clamato? Isn’t there a law 

against that? 

When I stopped being huffy long enough 

to go back to Taste the Wild, it was these 

imperfections that allowed me to see the 

book in a different light. Maybe it’s good to 

see ourselves through a stranger’s eyes once 

in a while. The authors weren’t treating our 

food and customs as quaint habits of “the 

Canucks,” I was. They were embracing them, 

reveling in the simplicity of a few 

ingredients, blended well, in a relaxed 

and casual way to make great tasting 

food. That could only be more Canadian 

if the food apologized for something. 

I can argue against stereotypes all I 

like but we really do have great salmon 

here. And it does taste fantastic when 

grilled on a cedar plank. And this 

picture of it is stunning and makes me 

wish it was summer, and I was sitting 

at a campfire by a Canadian river eating 

this dish with some potato salad and a 

piece of fresh, crusty bread. And, yes,


there are recipes for both of those too. 

At a count of 50 recipes, Taste the Wild is 

a light cookbook. It feels more like the most 

beautiful travel scrapbook I’ve ever seen. 

Inspirational quotes and descriptions of 

Canadian adventures that read like a brochure 

for a camping resort. Many of the recipes 

are what you’d expect to find. Hearty, rustic 

fare, comfort food to eat while curled up by a 

fire. That said, I found a recipe for Wild Rice 

Frittata with Mushrooms and Bacon that 

looks light and delicate yet is filling enough 

for a mid-day meal. Prepare the wild rice 

ahead of time and this could easily become a 

Sunday brunch staple. 


If you prefer something sweeter with 

brunch, try the Waffles with Salted Butterscotch 

Sauce. Whisking and adding the egg 

whites separately makes these ridiculously 

fluffy on the inside. The sauce is gorgeous 

enough to convert a die-hard maple syrup fan. 

I haven’t found anything it doesn’t taste great 

on, and I’ve poured butterscotch sauce on half 

the food in my fridge. You know, for science. 

Taste the Wild offers a fantasy about 

running away to summer in the backwoods 

of Canada. It may not be the most accurate 

portrayal of our country, but it is a lot of fun. 

Seriously, though, someone should tell them 

about the Clamato juice. 

Waffles with Salted Butterscotch Sauce 

Serves 4 

Whether with afternoon tea or as an indulgently 

sweet breakfast, waffles make a delightful 

treat at any time of the day. This recipe makes 

particularly fluffy waffles, which are served 

drizzled with a home-made butterscotch sauce. 

Canadians love their butterscotch as much as 

Australians love their mango. 

1 vanilla bean 

450 ml (16 fl oz) milk 

1 tbsp sugar 

200 g (7 oz) butter, melted, plus extra 

for greasing 

8 eggs, separated 

1⅔ cups (250 g) plain flour 

1 pinch salt 

FOR THE BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE 

400 g (14 oz) brown sugar 

1.2 litres (42 fl oz) single (pure) cream 

1 tsp salt 

Also: Raspberries, for serving 

1 For the butterscotch sauce, caramelise the 

brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium 

heat, without stirring. Deglaze with the cream 

(be careful, the caramel will be very hot!) and 

simmer for about 5 minutes until you have a 

creamy caramel sauce (it will thicken further as 

it cools). Stir in the salt. 

2 Preheat the waffle iron for the waffles. Split 

the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the 

seeds. Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla seeds 

and melted butter. Whisk in the egg yolks. Sift 

the flour over the mixture and whisk until all 

lumps have dissolved. Beat the egg whites and 

salt in a large bowl until stiff. Gently fold into 

the batter. 

3 Grease the waffle iron. Add one ladleful 

of batter at a time and cook the waffles until 

golden brown. Serve the waffles with the warm 

butterscotch sauce and fresh raspberries.



Wild Rice Frittata with Mushrooms and Bacon 

Serves 4 

With its delicate long grains and a nutty taste, 

wild rice is very different from plain rice in both 

appearance and taste. This shouldn’t come as a 

surprise, as wild rice is actually the seeds of a 

wild reed grass that is not related to rice at all. 

It imparts a wonderful flavour to this frittata 

and makes it a satisfying meal. 

⅔ cup (125 g) wild rice 

1 tsp salt 

5 eggs 

2 egg whites 

3 sprigs parsley 

½ tsp salt 

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg 

1 red onion 

2 tsp olive oil 

1 sprig rosemary 

200 g (7 oz) mixed mushrooms 

(chanterelles, button mushrooms) 

3 small slices bacon 

½ cup (45 g) grated parmesan 

1 Place the wild rice in a sieve and rinse 

thoroughly in cold water. Transfer the 

rice and salt to a saucepan together with 

230 ml (7.34 fl oz) water. Bring to the boil. 

Cover with a lid and simmer the rice over 

low heat for 40–50 minutes. Drain and set 

aside. 

2 Whisk the eggs and egg whites in a bowl. 

Rinse the parsley and shake off excess 

water. Pick off the leaves and chop 

finely. Stir the parsley, salt, pepper and 

nutmeg into the egg mixture. Peel and 

finely dice the onion. Heat the olive oil in 

an ovenproof frying pan. Add the onion 

and sweat until translucent. Rinse the 

rosemary and shake off excess water. Pick 

off the leaves and add to the onion. Wipe 

the mushrooms with a clean tea towel and 

halve. Transfer to the pan, increase the heat to high 

and sear. Reduce the heat and add the wild rice. 

3 Preheat the oven using the grill function. Pour the 

egg mixture into the pan and allow to set over low 

heat. Top with the bacon and parmesan. Transfer the 

pan to the oven and bake the frittata under the grill 

for about 5 minutes. 

TRACY TURLIN is a freelance writer and dog groomer 

in London. Reach her at tracyturlin@gmail.com 

Images and text from Taste the Wild by Lisa Neischlag and 

Lars Wentrup. Murdoch Books RRP $37.99


The Lighter Side 

Stop the Press 


By SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD 

Afriend from a large family was recently 

reflecting wistfully on the light and 

sumptuous pancakes that his mother 

— who worked full-time — would 

often prepare for the family on Sundays. 

“It’s funny though,” he said, scratching his 

chin thoughtfully. “I never saw her eat one 

herself.” 

My own suspicion is that she ate the first 

abstract, malformed efforts right out of the 

pan and counted that as her own breakfast, 

since making pancakes for a 

crowd is something that should 

be over as soon as possible. Still, 

life as a woman is chock-full of 

doing things for others that we 

do not always find enjoyable but 

do anyway. Automatically. 

I think we can all agree that 

no one wants to return to 

the old Mad Men days when women were 

unapologetically kept down and could not 

rely on equality in or outside of the home. 

But it seems important to note that during 

those so-called simpler times, the many 

activities today that we consider de rigueur 

— gym memberships, children’s competitive 

sports/dance lessons, committee/coaching 

commitments — did not exist, at least to 

the same degree as today. Similarly, the way 

people ate dinner only a few decades ago was 

extremely predictable and, therefore, less 

complicated. Sunday was a roasted something, 

then leftovers, maybe a midweek chop or two 

and then the whole cycle was repeated. Again, 

not only did other options not occur (there 

were no “Memories of Szechwan”) but without 

FoodTV, recipe blogs and Instagram, the only 

celebrity chef was “Boyardee.” 

My own mother, a person of some 

resilience, once presented “Turkey Tetrazzini” 

— leftovers transformed by a curious powder, 

flecked with green — and was rewarded with 

familial outrage. The “strangeness” of it all was 

too much for my father, who was rattled by 

suddenly not having the same-dinner-every- 

Wednesday of his life. As a child, I found it 

exotic and happily lapped up every one of 

those (way) beyond al dente noodles. 

The point is, that even though women 

today have a much better chance of “having it 

all,” none of the traditional expectations have 

actually been dropped. In fact, many more 

have been surreptitiously grafted on. Meal 

planning is now a daunting task since dinners 

must not only be healthy, frugal, locallysourced 

and fast, but everyone must enjoy it. 

This, I think is especially unique to our times. 

Back in the day, enjoying 

dinner was a nice bonus, 

but certainly not a primary 

concern. Providing a decent 

meal (no one worried about 

processed foods!) was enough. 

Lack of time and guiltfueled 

exhaustion have now 

created an industry that will 

not only deliver meals but also cater to dietary 

preferences. Millennials especially are hugely 

comfortable with this concept and definitely 

don’t expect to eat the same thing every day. 

The dietary bar is set high. Instagram proves 

that “regular cooks” are making expensive 

enamelware, sous-vide machines, and a 

working knowledge of Kombucha positively 

mainstream. 

For women running their own businesses 

and single mothers particularly, exhaustion 

and self-sacrifice are an accepted part of life as 

they try to do everything, and do it well. But 

it’s time to be kinder to ourselves. An hour on 

Sunday to read, or a quiet glass of wine as the 

pasta water boils is not too much to ask. Make 

sure it happens. Regularly. 

I recently read an article in which a woman 

likened her chaotic life to being slowly 

squeezed in a panini press. The fact that she 

made this analogy, and that we all understand, 

says it all. 

SUE SUTHERLAND WOOD is a freelance writer and 

regular contributor to Eatdrink. Read more of Sue’s work 

on her blog www.speranzanow.com .

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Eatdrink #82 March/April 2020

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