Creemore BIA celebrates 30 years with Founders’ Dinner
Creemore BIA celebrated its 30-year anniversary Tuesday with a gourmet farm-to-table dinner at Station on the Green.
The event brought the community together to celebrate the village’s accomplishments and its cooperative spirit.
Guests arrived to an al fresco social hour and hors d’oeuvres served by the Sovereign and SoCo with falafel, poutine and wood fired pizza on offer along with cocktails mixed Creemore Springs beer and Meredith’s Ginger Syrup.
Guests were then ushered in to the Station to find it completely transformed with country décor including wildflowers, barnboard signs, lit trees, hispster lights, ribbons and hanging bicycles. The tables were laden with edible centerpieces of radishes, herbs, strawberries, eggs interspersed with canning jar candleholders.
The BIA hosted the country chic affair showcasing the area’s many fine products. President Jackie Durnford’s vision was made a reality thanks to many volunteer hours put in by members of the business community.
Before the meal, Durnford welcomed to the podium speaker and guest of honour John Wiggins, who walked the audience through Creemore’s transformation over the past 30 years. The anniversary of the BIA coincides with the 30-year anniversary of Creemore Springs Brewery, which Wiggins founded shortly after moving to the area. Wiggins was an integral part of the revitalization of the village as a tourist attraction and its transformation into the community that it is today.
Wiggins said the village’s cooperative nature was one of the first things that struck him when he moved here, saying he was at that time sent across the street to a competitor when buying paper plates for a party.
Attendees were then treated to a three-course dinner starting with trout roulade made by Chef Michel Masselin of Chez Michel using his own garlic scapes, fish from Kolapore Springs, New Farm spinach, and served with Miller’s Dairy cream and dill sauce, followed by a publican salad from the Old Mill House Pub using New Farm greens. Creemore Kitchen Chef Caesar Guinto created a main coarse of ballotine with roasted chicken from Woodfield Farm, pomme purée and asparagus from Blackshire Gardens. The meal was completed by Guinto’s pavlova made with duck eggs from Roy’L Acres Farm, Miller’s Dairy cream and Moondance Organic Gardens rhubarb strawberry compote, served with tea and coffee served by Clearview Tea Company and Creemore Coffee Company.
Masselin and Guinto managed the kitchen as a team and the courses were expertly delivered to the tables by servers from Chez Michel and Creemore Kitchen, who had volunteered their time that evening. Durnford said much of the food was either donated or sold at a reduced price. All in all, the dinner was a large collaborative effort by all partners.
“We wanted to bring the business community together, to unite them, see them working together on future ventures to promote the community,” said Durnford.
At the end of the night, diners went home stuffed to the gills, but not before picking up a Bank Café cinnamon bun to-go. People also went home with a keepsake tea towel printed with a copy of the menu.
