Another Quebec Dairy Company on the Buy

[stovetop]

I am very sad about this and I have not seen very much written about, this would be very bad for Vancouver Island and for BC, we do not have very much left in the dairy industry, Dairy world is owned by Soputo out of Quebec.

Quebec would become the dominant leader in Canada in the liquid milk business and it could close all plants on the island, just like they did with the chicken industry, there are no more fed plants on Van Island.

Please does anybody care about The BC agricultural sector; I have been a chef all my life and I am getting tired of all these multinationals and vertical integration going on, when will somebody care about our very sacred food source.

Times colonist

island farms

Agropur

steve

Edited January 8, 2005 by stovetop (log)

[stovetop]

source

saputo

readers digest version

Dairyworld  now Sapputo

started 1992 with the merger of three dairy co-operatives: Fraser Valley Milk Producers Co-operative (AKA Dairyland ), Northern Alberta Dairy Pool (Nu-maid Dairies) and Central Alberta Dairy Pool (Alpha Milk Co.). 1993 Dairyworld then was restructured with Manco, the Manitoba operation of Dairyworld, then Dairy Producers Cooperative of Saskatchewan was merged, then the company's name was changed to Agrifoods International.

Dairyworld established itself in the Toronto market in 1992 with the purchase of Flowerlea Dairy. In 1995 the company replaced the aging facility with a new processing plant on another site. Now it would not be surprising to see Agrifoods International turn out to be the buyer of Ault Foods fluid milk operations in Quebec. Ault recently sold its Ontario fluid milk operations to the Quebec co-operative Agropur. Agropur and Agrifoods already have a joint venture in Ultima Foods that markets yogurt and other dairy products nationally.

-------

2001 Saputo becomes the leader in the Canadian dairy industry by acquiring Dairyworld Foods, a major Canadian producer of cheese, fluid milk and other dairy products.

Founded in 1954, Saputo is celebrating, in 2004, 50 years of growth. During this time, the Company has maintained its family flavour and the vitality of a team whose passion is equalled only by its know-how… and its taste for good food! Saputo employs 7,500 individuals in its 42 plants and its distribution centres. Well established in the dairy and grocery products sectors, its products are offered under the brand names of Saputo, Stella, Frigo, Dragone, Armstrong, Caron, Cayer, Treasure Cave, Dairyland, Baxter, Nutrilait, La Paulina, Ricrem and Vachon. Saputo is the largest dairy processor in Canada, one of the largest cheese producers in North America and the third largest dairy processor in Argentina. Saputo Inc. is a public company whose shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol SAP.

[stovetop]

source

The dairy industry in Canada has recently been consolidated essentially into the hands of three companies: Parmalat of Italy, Agrifoods International of Vancouver (now saputo)Quebec, and Agropur of Quebec, the last two of which are, technically, producer-owned co-operatives. Nestl‚ has also emerged as a major player in ice cream (part of its global plan) and branded products.

saputo

parmalat/beatrice milk

agropur

Buy bye island farms

[canucklehead]

I find this very distressing as well - I've purposely sought out Island Farm products and have avoided Dairyland. I know some might say so what - but I am tired of this province being a branch office of larger companies. I will always seek out the local producer simply because when it comes to food - the closer the better.

I guess this leaves Avalon - or are they part of a larger company also?

[stovetop]

In this crazy world of buyouts and vertical integration there is still a few standouts in our mist, BC agricultural sector has been pummeled by this action, but there is a few bright spots of independent minded and brave farmers, chefs, distributors and wholesalers.

The Organic and sustainable agricultural industries have been moving forward with the winds of change by coming about and jibing through the dust of the breakdowns of the traditional BC agricultural sectors.

Sustainable Agriculture is filling the void placed by the vertical integration of the food sector, the middle is virtually missing in this traditional food system model, all the middle companies being absorbed by the multinational players, thus a big gap in the local food scene, the big grocery, wholesalers and food chains generally miss out on the local market and source foods from other regions.

This leaves local food producers trying to find new distribution lines and the BC government has been helping a bit but I find that it is not enough, political mandates are very fractured in BC and there is too much self interest involved. We spend too much time competing with ourselves then to join together and work as a team.

In Canada we do not have free trade, I feel this way because of the barriers placed at every Provincial border. BC and Alberta should be more of trading partners not competitors, food commodities like eggs, dairy products, chicken, produce, meat all need to be federal inspected to leave the Province, just like it was an Export.

The Alberta chicken Industry has one very important distinguishing feature that sets it far apart from BC in regards to chicken production. They have both a federal and Provincial level of inspection, what this does is enables a local supply of chicken, in BC most plants now are federal inspected to produce chicken, I have been trying to find out about the BC chicken Marketing board but can not find enough information to say whether you can or cant produce chicken for local consumption, I know such places such as salt spring sell locally but can not find what level of production they are at. Many high end restaurants are buying locally produced foods but when I do searches for producers there is very little info or links at these sites.

We must start to buy local foods when we can and not just buying organic but supporting any local or sustainable agricultural commodity.

Avalon

[stovetop]

Last year I had the chance to catch a movie called Deconstructing Supper hosted by John Bishop; it was a movie that looked at where we get our food from. He asked so many amazing questions about the whole process. The movie is incredible to give us an insiders view to the world of food, it shows the beginning to end; the growing, harvesting and cooking of the food, he has such a inquiring, almost childlike approach to his position in the film, not leaving any stone unturned, he was not afraid really to turn the whole food politics issue on its side to come out with the answers he was looking for. This is was what I liked best about it.

I had two brief and great opportunities to work for John and with Michael Allemeier and Adam Busby; that kitchen always had the best food you can buy, they really did not have to go out and search for growers after a while they where all coming to the restaurant; like a kid in a candy shop the chefs would look at the stuff the farmers would bring, fresh herbs, flowers, specialty lettuces from glorious Garnish; wild and cultured mushrooms from the valley, Morels, chanterelles, and shitakes. There was never a shortage of wonderful product to work with. When you are a cook there is no greater pleasure then to work with such amazing raw products. When you are cooking at this level there is not much room for error, so it is imperative that you do have the best and freshest ingredients available. Bishops worked hard for many years combing and sourcing the valley and islands for good quality food, the word got out to the very leading farmers in the food field; ahead of their times, looking for a market for the designer vegetables, lettuces and such amazing fresh herbs, but now they finally found a home and a city that was begging to embrace this type of food and chefs that found it important to support local agriculture. Chefs realized that to cook at this level you really do need the best food available, that food was all over the valley and the islands and now they where coming to your door, what more can you ask for. This was the beginning of the great food scene in Vancouver and now many chefs are supporting local foods and are beginning to realize the importance of sustainable agriculture and buying foods from your area when possible. Without a local agricultural sector we are somehow a less of a people, we risk so much diversity in our food source and the nutrition and quality and freshness that local food brings.

Please support local agriculture.

steve

[stovetop]

Vancouver Island is going to be an amazing food Centre in years to come, you have some of the oldest, most incredible, beautiful and fertile growing regions on the coast. You also have that old school charm dating back to the original Vancouver Island, Douglas’ British Columbia and home to HBC.

The Cowichan valley is Queen to all the lands on the island and dates back to 1850 in the White man world but the Natives have worked with this land for many years, in Douglas’ time both nations worked together to survive this harsh and unforgiving nature, nature was there front and center and the people learned to work with her and made the lands produce many harvests.

The Cowichan now is shared by many Farmers, Wineries, Artist, Musicians, and B&B; Natives and many other Cultures share the land and the wealth that she provides. This area is one of the most beautiful regions in Canada and will become an incredible Food and Wine area second to none.

We must respect her and not let the multinational and big business take over her charm and make a homogenized nothing out of something with so much life; leave it small, healthy and beautiful.

Here is a bunch of links of the area and of Sustainable Agriculture.

The Island Chef's Collaborative

Cowichan bay farm

Engeler farm

Agriculture Tourism

Island fresh

BC Farm Fresh

[stovetop]

Vancouver Island Wineries are on a roll, such a beautiful area, so much wonderfull food and wine, this is what good eating is all about.

The Cowichan

Van Island Wines

Vancouver Island Wineries

Island Wineries

Merridale cider

Godfrey-Brownell Vineyards.

Cherry point

Bluegrouse vineyards

Marley farms

Victoria Estate winery

Venturi schulze

Garry Oaks

[stovetop]

An edible journey

In Getting Fresh, Elizabeth Levinson described her search for the choicest organic foods in and around Victoria. In this book, she expands her quest and explores the bounty of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. She has tracked down luscious organic vegetables and fruits, outstanding cheeses and award-winning wines, all produced by devoted growers and artisans.

Elizabeth discovered that many of these people had left behind high-profile careers in other fields to dedicate themselves to the land and to growing and developing gourmet goodies. Her accounts of their lifestyle changes are as fascinating as her descriptions of their wares. She also visited world-famous inns and restaurants such as The Aerie, Sooke Harbour House, The Wickanninish Inn and Hastings House, enthusiastic supporters of excellent local products. And on her travels, she collected spectacular recipes, some created just for this book.

Anyone who likes food—and isn’t that all of us?—will be intrigued by this book. You’ll learn where to find the most delicious edibles on Vancouver Island, what to do with them when you’ve got them and how to have fun along the way.

The Aerie

Sooke

The wick

Hastings house

Malahat

Temple

Tgh-na-mara

Fairwinds

Dunsmuir lodge

Pacific Shores

Eagles nook

Snug harbour

Poets cove

Qualicum heritage Inn

brentwood bay lodge

Canoe

Brasserie l'école

Long beach resort

Fairburn farms

Providence farm

Quamichan inn

[stovetop]

I am beginning to find out nothing is sacred any more, in the world of corporate takeovers; you better take a second look at the product and the store you are shopping at, nothing anymore is going to be easy for the consumer to ease there political mind by shopping at places like Capers, Choices, and whole foods Market.

This world just got a whole lot more complicated and a whole lot more political, I got the feeling that a lot of heads will be buried in the sand trying to avoid all this controversy and the graying of lines between the regular line of foods and the "ORGANIC" line of foods.

Big Corporations are buying up one by all these small companies and product lines so it is becoming even more difficult for us the consumer to protect our interest and to guarantee quality and product source.

For all you hippies out there you better start doing your homework and open you eyes to the goings on in the food world, it is getting hot out there and you better take off your clog of content ness. It has just become a whole lot harder to live that environmental life style. We are not going to be able to easily recognize products and brand names and stores anymore with political ideals. Big brother has just move to town and he is taking over all the health food stores and Organic stores.

I believe in democracy like the next person but this kind of vertical integration is getting out of hand. I guess it what happens when you get successful, the organic and natural food busies was becoming big business and getting into the bottom lines of the big corporations out there, so company x is bought up and sold and eventually the lines are so blurred it is hard for the consumer to decide if those political decisions they were making are now back to where they started, supporting a large corporation by buying the natural food product and that organic milk.

we must keep some farming small, I believe that it is our own survival depends own it, we must keep some genetic diversification and variance and keep the old gene pool alive, old stock has had 100's of years of mother nature practicing her trade of genetic variance, there is no science or doctor that can do better then nature.

Science and research is split on which direction mankind must go in our improvement of our food source, but for me science is not completely the answer, the answer is already there 1000's of years of f sustainable farming and feeding the earth. We have not re invented the wheel we are changing it, food must not be for total profit but must be sustainable to be able to solve world hunger problems not Monsanto’s methods of feeding the world through genetic manipulation and cross breading. Science does not know the ramifications of releasing these genetics into the environment; they need to do their homework before they let GMO's into Canada. GMO’s will not solve the worlds problems.

We need to get back to the basics, back to the land and lower pressure on the soil.

steve

What have organic brands Health Valley (cereals), Bearitos (corn chips), Bread Shop (granola) and Celestial Seasonings (tea) have in common? These apparently independent companies are all owned by the Hain Celestial Group

Even though Hain Celestial is an organic giant in its own right, it has even bigger owners. According to research by Paul Glover and Carole Resnick of the Greenstar Food Coop (Ithaca, New York) the company's investors include Philip Morris, Monsanto, Citigroup, Exxon-Mobil, Wal-Mart and aerospace military contractor Lockheed Martin. And in September 1999 the H. J. Heinz food conglomerate bought a 20% stake in Hain Celestial.

Hain Celestial is by no means a unique case:

Cascadian Farms is a subsidiary of Small Planet Foods, which is a division of agribusiness colossus General Mills. And General Mill's main shareholders include Philip Morris, Exxon-Mobil, General Electric, Chevron, Nike, McDonald's, Monsanto, Dupont, Dow Chemical and PepsiCo.

Silk Soy Drink is part of the White Wave corporation, itself a Dean Foods subsidiary. And according to Glover and Resnick, Dean Foods' main investors include Microsoft, General Electric, Citigroup, Pfizer, Philip Morris, Exxon-Mobil, Coca Cola, Wal-Mart, PepsiCo and Home Depot.

Odwalla, makers of organic orange juice, is owned by Minute Maid, which is in turn a division of Coca Cola.

Boca Burger is owned by Kraft, which is part of Philip Morris.

Arrowhead Water and Poland Spring Water, are Nestle subsidiaries.

Organic Cow, founded by small New England organic dairy farmers, is now part of the Colorado-based Horizon, whose sales just topped $200 million annually and which controls 70% of the American organic milk market . Horizon Holding company was itself was acquired by the Dean Foods conglomerate in 2003.

Corpwatch

old link

Edited January 12, 2005 by stovetop (log)

[stovetop]

island farms

Island Farms is more than just a supplier of dairy products. They are also committed to playing an active role in the communities they serve. Charitable programs like Milk for Kids, provides fresh milk to families in need through local food banks. Begun in Victoria in 1999, the Milk for Kids program now distributes more than 48,000 litres of milk each year to families throughout Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. "We are very community-oriented. which is a very natural thing for us. Our roots, our shareholders are all part of this community," adds McMillan.

This is a exert of this story about Island dairies being in the top 50 companies; I wonder how it would affect the company if it was owned by Agropur, it would not be community owned anymore, they would own the milk (agropur), and quotas would be put on the market like in Quebec and Ontario, then we would loose the control of the local production just like what happened to the chicken industry. There are now no fed plants on Vancouver Island

Cuisine canada

Jersey farms ( another independent farm)

Foodshare

Oldways

Small-Scale Agricultural

Largest natural food broker

Royal Wessanen

Royal Wessanen nv is a multinational food corporation based in the Netherlands which operates in European and North American markets. Focusing on high-quality authentic food, our products range from pure natural and healthy foods to Premium Taste food products. We aim to continuously increase our shareholder value by capitalizing on our differentiating capabilities in category/channel management, strong brands, value-added distribution services and transatlantic alignment.

steve

Edited January 13, 2005 by stovetop (log)

[stovetop]

Source of quote

It is a pleasure for me to speak on behalf of Agropur. Agropur is a cooperative which was founded in 1938. We have $1.9 billion in sales. We are owned by 4,000 producers including myself, the president, and I am a dairy producer. We have 3,000 employees working throughout Canada. Agropur owns 20 plants including two in British Columbia, one in Alberta, four in Ontario. The others are in Quebec. We distribute our products throughout Canada. You would certainly recognize our main brands: Natrel, Sealtest, Oka cheese, etc. We operate in all sectors, including in the fluid milk sector.

    For those of you who know the dairy sector, you will know that it is an increasingly concentrated one. The concentration mainly has to do with distribution and processing. When we talk about capitalization and say that we want to compete with other processors, be they from here or elsewhere, without wanting to belabour the points my colleagues have made, I must point out that we don't necessarily have access to the same instruments to ensure our capitalization as others. Nor do we enjoy the same market advantages to ensure our capitalization.

Sealtest milk

[stovetop]

Quote from

Farm foundation

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Among all the farms with sales of $2 500 or more in 1991, 28,910 out of 256,182 farms were classified as dairy farms. (Statistics Canada, Census of Agriculture).

The milk and dairy products industry ranks among the major industries in the Canadian agri-food sector in terms of farm cash receipts, processed product shipments, employment, value-added and contribution to gross domestic product altogether, dairy farming and processing industries generated sales of more than $10billion in 1992. Over the last three decades, the dairy industry has shown moderate growth(dairy farming 1.1 percent, dairy processing 1.9 percent), but slower growth than the rest of the agriculture and agri-food industries. Thus, dairy industry contribution to total agriculture and agri-food sector sales has declined slightly.Dairy farming, ranked second of all Canadian agricultural commodities in value of sales, has maintained its importance for the last 30 years. From 1991-93 dairy products generated average annual farm sales of $3.13 billion; 15 percent of market receipts for all agricultural products.

Dairy processing is the second ranked sector of the Canadian food and beverage processing industry (Figure 3). In 1992, dairy processing manufacturing shipments were $7.46 billion; 16 percent of the value of manufacturing shipments of the food and beverage industry. While employment data are not readily available, the number of commercial dairy farms reflects the minimum number of producers or families that make a living from dairy farming, as most dairy farms are family farms. According to the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC), there were 29,350 farms selling milk or cream in Canada in 1993. Dairy farms accounted for 11 percent of all farms in 1991 4 . The dairy processing industry, ranking second to meat and poultry in value of shipments, employed 24,600 people in 1992; about 11 percent of total food and beverage industry employees. This proportion has remained stable over the last decade. Of total dairy processing employees, 53 percent are in fluid milk, 47 percent in industrial milk processing.

[Sam Salmon]

Looking over some old bookmarks I ran across this link for Engeler Farm in The Cowichan Valley.

I realise I've driven by it a few times going to/coming from Port Renfrew but have never stopped.

There's a lot to see Food/Wine wise in that 'hood these days-more than ever before.

Edited February 14, 2005 by Sam Salmon (log)

[Edible Vancouver]

I was just over there on the weekend and spent a few hours with Mara discovering the backroads of the Cowichan Valley. Engeler is an amazing place - right next door to Venturi Schulz. Mara has plans for a new venture in the coming months, which I will keep you aprised of.

I will also post a quick trip report in the coming days regarding a four day tour I took last week which took me to the Cowichan Valley, Sooke and Victoria with stops at many of the great establishments over there.

Cheers,

Eric

[merlin]

Eric:

I will look forward to your report as we are heading out that way Wednesday nite.

Had originally thought that I would just walk and taxi about Victoria taking it easy but I might be persuaded to rent a car for at least one of the days we are out that way.

The only winery I managed to locate during efforts in that regard was Vignetti Zagnatta. Missed Alderlea in the fall despite the signs that seemed to indicate that I was on the right path. Would not mind visiting the Merridale Cidery.

[Viola da gamba]

The only winery I managed to locate during efforts in that regard was Vignetti Zagnatta.  Missed Alderlea in the fall despite the signs that seemed to indicate that I was on the right path.  Would not mind visiting the Merridale Cidery.

←

Mmmm Merridale - scrumpy, mead, cyser - mmmmm - roast pork - mmmm - have a wonderful trip. I think Spinnakers has Merridale on tap.

In terms of finding the VI Wineries - this site http://www.vancouverisland.com/Maps/?id=83

might help? There's also at least one outfit out of Victoria that does wine tours going from Victoria up to Cowichan & back - Shelora or another local might be able to help with names - if you don't want to rent a car/want to drink.

[merlin]

Thanks Viola da Gamba:

It's breakfast time but your comment about roast pork and cider has me ravenous. We'll definitely get to Spinnakers as the walk along the inner harbour is a mere "stumble"from where we'll be staying and I enjoy their beers and view.

Last fall we shared the hotel mini-van with another group of folks and we got to chatting. They were headed to Brasserie L'Ecole and we to Brio having been to Brasserie the nite before. One of the three inquired how these out of towners knew all the good spots to eat in Victoria. I replied eGullet and EAT magazine.

Turns out she was Cathy McAree who operates "Travel With Taste" out of Victoria. They do do wine tours but according to her website not until May or so. We'll inquire of the hotel concierge when we arrive and take it from there.

[shelora]

Zanatta is so beautiful and they have a killer white wine Damasco that I liken to a Portuguese vinho verde. The winery is definitely worth a visit. Also go to Venturi Schultze, but phone for hours.

Merridale Cidery is also of note - their ice cider is particularly brilliant.

There are a few vineyards in the Saanich Peninsula that provide an option for people with not a lot of time or for those hesitating taking the Malahat.

First is the award winning Chalet Estate in Deep Cove. The award is for their Ortega - and is worth the trip alone.

Chalet Estate is in a bonus location right across from the Deep Cove Chalet and after a delicious Sunday brunch there - overlooking the cove - you can manoeuvre yourself over to the winery for a tasting and purchase of a few bottles of Ortega.

Marley Farm Vineyards is also in the vicinity and specialize in fruit wines.

Enjoy the trip.

s

[Edible Vancouver]

This past week I managed a short but busy trip to Vancouver Island to check out what the area had to offer in terms of culinary treasures. All I can say is that I was not disappointed! I will give you a quick rundown of what I discovered.

Accommodations

I spent my first night at the Marriott Downtown, which is the newest hotel in Victoria. It has a great location just off the inner harbor and the rooms are spacious and well appointed. The hotel also has a great restaurant called Fire and Water which is presided over by Chef Keenliside, the original chef from Brio. It is a great place to stay and eat!

On my second night I had the pleasure of staying at the Sooke Harbour House. Still rated as one of the ten best hotels in the world, it is not hard to see why. Prompt, attentive service, fantastic rooms and then there is the food (which will be discussed below). While the rooms can tend to be on the expensive side (especially during peak season), it is a great place for a weekend get away in the shoulder or off seasons.

My last night was spent at Spinnaker’s Guesthouse which is comprised of residences that have been purchased in the blocks surrounding the Brew Pub. Accommodations range from rooms in a heritage home built in the late 1800’s to rooms in contemporary homes built less than 10 years ago. I stayed in the heritage house but found it to be quite noisy although very well appointed and a good value. I would suggest requesting a room in a new house or on the top floor.

I also had the opportunity to tour, although not stay in a few other properties. Bear Mountain Golf Resort now has a 60 room hotel that has opened. It is situated right next to the clubhouse and will cater to all types of golf fanatics. The rooms are very spacious and well appointed, but may be a little dark and cold for my taste with lost of dark wood and muted colors. Currently there are plans to add another wing to the hotel and a restaurant, spa, etc. which should be open in the middle of 2006.

While I was in Sooke I also took a drive out to Point No Point and had a look at the cabins and restaurant. This is a rustic type of set up although the cabins are well appointed and have great views of the ocean and the pounding surf can be seen and heard right from your private hot tub on the deck of each cabin. The dinner menu looks a little limited although I understand it is very well done.

Two other notable places of mention would be Hartmann House and Cooper’s Cove which are both B&B’s in Sooke. Hartmann House (which is where I stayed on my honeymoon 7 years ago) still has one of my favorite rooms anywhere. A huge king sized bed is made from a single tree and an extra large Jacuzzi tub for 2 is situated beside a fireplace. The property is located in East Sooke and is a short drive from Sooke Harbour House for dinner! Cooper’s Cove is also located in the same area and is owned and operated by Angelo Prosperi-Porta who was a member of Culinary Team Canada in 1994. As you can imagine the food gets rave reviews and he also conducts a cooking school which can be included as part of your stay.

Restaurants

My first stop in Victoria was the new Fire and Water restaurant in the Marriott Hotel for drinks. The restaurant and lounge are nicely appointed but still a little too Marriott corporate in style for my taste. The restaurant is headed up by Jeff Keenliside (ex Brio) and focuses on fresh local ingredients.

On my first night I had dinner at Brasserie L’Ecole which is under the guidance of Sean Brennan (another ex Brio chef). The menu and wine list are small and focused and the food is very good. I had a endive salad with bacon, apple, hazelnuts and a mustard wine dressing followed by the braised lamb shank with merguez sausage, Moroccan chickpeas and cinnamon/honey roasted squash. Both dish were very well executed and incredibly flavorful. My dining companion had a French Onion Soup and a red-wine braised duck leg with lentils du puy and roast parsnips. His soup was very good although the duck was not overly inspiring. My favorite part of the restaurant is the wine list as anything is available by the glass as long as you order 2 glasses. Just take the bottle price and divide by 5 – a great concept!

The next day I had a number of meetings so it was a sit down breakfast at the Ocean Point for a tourism meeting that is not even worth mentioning. For lunch, it was off to another meeting and a quick bite at the Grand Pacific Hotel. Grilled Halibut skewers on a mesculin salad was simple and tasty, but not overly exciting, especially when compared to dinner that evening.

Dinner on Thursday was another memorable meal at Sooke Harbour House. As usual the food and service was perfect. The meal was paired with all BC wines, 4 of which came from Venturi Schulz. I don’t even think this needs comments, just read the menu for the evening:

Carrot Cream Soup drizzled with rosemary oil, accompanied with pumpkin seed crusted goat’s cheese, beet jellies and garnished with peppercress.

Trap caught smoked sable fish and leek terrine with a grilled grand fir marinated baby onion, a sour dough crisp and a julienne of pink lady apple, and a red wine vinegar, apple juice, fruit sage reduction with leek oil

Coriander seed dusted and roasted Maple Wood Farm lamb loin with a red wine meat stock reduction and a sour cherry, oxeye daisy compote, a wild rice, morel mushroom and spinach perogie, with sweet and sour braised purple cabbage and bok choy

Dungeness crab crusted Petrole sole in a miso, ginger, lavender, shrimp and porphyra seaweed broth, with a celery root fritter, a ruby beet and maple syrup, pear cider braised rutabaga

A cheese course then followed with more than 8 different Canadian goat, sheep and ewe’s milk cheeses

(we skipped dessert)

The next morning it was so sunny and warm breakfast was served in my room on the patio (and I made sure to call my friends in Toronto and let then know)!

Other notable places to eat in the Sooke area include Markus’ Warfside Eatery which was closed during my visit as he is in Mexico until the end of the month, but from all accounts, it is worth a stop as he really focuses on regional ingredients as well. Also stop at the Little Vienna Bakery in Sooke for pastries (apple strudel and croissants is you are hungry after a walk on the Galloping Goose Trail. Another interesting place to eat according to one of the staff at Sooke Harbour House is called Sushi on the Sea where you are actually taken out on a sailboat into Sooke Harbour and served sushi while you enjoy the sites.

After my morning in Sooke it was back to Victoria to check out more of the places on my list. Dinner that evening consisted of a Dine Around Victoria on my own schedule with a couple of dishes at 6 different places. My first stop was Spinnaker’s where I sampled all of the local brews (just a little of each though) This is another place that is committed to local island products and really focuses on quality, not only in their beers but also with their food. A great place to stop for a pint!

Next it was off to Canoe – another pub just down the street with a great patio for summer. The food was okay but the room and patio would be great once the weather warmed up a touch more (Victoria was not quite as warm as Sooke). Now that I was getting warmed up it was off to Paprika. I was able to sample two dishes – the house made smoked pork sausage and a crispy octopus salad with cannelli beans and a lemon dressing which I washed down with a glass of Alderlea Chardonnay. The food coming out of this kitchen is amazing and the service is just a good. This is my number on choice to eat in Victoria the next time I go. I need to try a full meal!

After Paprika I headed over to Zambri’s which is known locally as a great spot for lunch, but was relatively quiet for dinner on a Friday night. I managed a plate of spicy tuna Carpaccio and a few fresh oysters while watching Peter Zambri work in the open kitchen. The food was fresh and very well presented. This is a great place to have lunch when in Victoria a grab a quick bite for dinner at the bar, but it is a little low on ambience for a romantic dinner.

Next stop – Café Brio. Still the leader in the fine dining segment in Victoria and with good reason. The room was packed, people were having a good time and the food is amazing! I nibbled on a beef Carpaccio and some terrines which were sent out by the kitchen (pigs trotters and rabbit ballontine) both of which were excellent. The menu is very regionally focused and the wine list offers some great hard to find BC wines.

My last stop for the evening was Temple. Friday nigh at 11:00 pm and the place was still bussing (which is a lot to say in Victoria was Brio emptied out while I sat there at 9:30!!!). Temple is a very loud and sparsely decorated restaurant with more of a bar focus, although almost every table had food. The food was interesting but excessively salty from the two dishes I tried however, the martinis were excellent! This is a great place to go for drinks after dinner if you don’t mind the noise.

The one place that I did not get to that I would like to try on my next trip over is the new Rosemead Dining Room at the Old English Resort. It is a five-minute drive outside of the downtown core but it looks like it may be another great place to dine in Victoria.

Other Places of Interest

Some of the other places I visited that are worth a stop for a food focused visit included:

Ottavio – a great café and deli in Oak Bay with a fantastic selection of local and Canadian cheeses.

Charelli’s – another cheese shop started about a year ago by a mother and daughter in a residential area of Victoria. They have a great selection of cheeses from around the world.

Engeler Farm – Mara Jerinigan and her partner Alfons run Engeler. Mara is just in the process of setting up a new culinary B&B, cooking school and farm of which the details should be available in about a month’s time.

Some of the local vineyards I visited included:

Cherry Point Vineyards – the new owners (local native band) have continued the operation and have plans for expansion in the near future. Try the blackberry port. Make sure you ask which wines are estate grown (on the island).

Blue Grouse Vineyards – a small vineyard that is open on weekends and sometimes during the week during the winter. One of the few vineyards with estate-grown grapes. Try the Ortega.

Alderlea – hard to find, hardly ever open to the public, but yet well worth the effort. This winery is so popular with high-end restuarants that they generally only open for four months a year to the public as they sell out of everything during that time due to allotments to restaurants. If you can get in to see them, buy the Angelique which is great with Thai food. The Pinot Gris and Viognier which they produce can only be found in restaurants such as Sooke Harbour House.

Glenterra Vineyards is another very small vineyard with only four types of wine (2 of which are sold out). All of the grapes used are estate grown and they have some unique blends. Try the 2004 Pinot Gris which will be released in the spring – I had a barrel sample and it is amazing for an island wine!

Zanatta is closed until sometime in March.

Two other places also worth a stop are the Merridale Ciderworks which produces some great cider products, both traditional and modern. My personal favorite was the Cyser which is great with spicy food as it has a touch of honey added to it. Another good stop in Sooke is the Tugwell Creek Honey Farm and Meadery where you can sample local honey and drink mead. They are only open very select hours at this time of year so call ahead.

If you want more details on any of the places mentioned above, please feel free to send me a PM or email.

Cheers,

Eric

[Daddy-A]

While I was in Sooke I also took a drive out to Point No Point and had a look at the cabins and restaurant.  This is a rustic type of set up although the cabins are well appointed and have great views of the ocean and the pounding surf can be seen and heard right from your private hot tub on the deck of each cabin.  The dinner menu looks a little limited although I understand it is very well done.

J & I love Point No Point!! We stayed there for our honneymoon and an anniversary. Each cabin comes with a kitchenette, so we've never actually eaten at their restaurant. In fact, we rarely leave the cabin The hottubs are extremely secluded too.

Now that I was getting warmed up it was off to Paprika.  I was able to sample two dishes – the house made smoked pork sausage and a crispy octopus salad with cannelli beans and a lemon dressing which I washed down with a glass of Alderlea Chardonnay.  The food coming out of this kitchen is amazing and the service is just a good.  This is my number on choice to eat in Victoria the next time I go.  I need to try a full meal!

Another fave of ours! Paprika Bistro does Old World in a very New World way. The pork belly is one of my faves ... although don't mention the turkey sausage to Keith Another thing George does that I really appreciate is pickles! Pickled carrots, beets, etc. Not enough pickles around for my liking!

A.

[Viola da gamba]

Turns out she was Cathy McAree who operates "Travel With Taste" out of Victoria.  They do do wine tours but according to her website not until May or so.  We'll inquire of the hotel concierge when we arrive and take it from there.

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That's the bunny - sorry about the seasonal thing - you're welcome - have a wonderful trip.

Edited February 15, 2005 by Viola da gamba (log)

[tofino]

Just as a heads up a great website for the Vancouver Island Wineries is at www.islandwineries.ca - great printable map of the area with details about each winery!

Chris

[Sam Salmon]

Thanks for the link to Island Wineries-seems it was lost here sometime back.

I note that Venturi-Schulze is once again 'marching to it's own drummer' and hasn't joined the local association.

I was once a 'big fan' of theirs but some distinctly oddball decisions in terms of marketing/pricing mean I've lost interest this past decade or so.

[jayhay]

Thanks Edible, for taking the time to post the details on your latest trip to Victoria & area.

We'll be going to the island later this month, & will use some of your info to plot the route.