Langley Archives - Page 4 of 4

Craft Beer in Metro Vancouver November 9, 2016

Craft Beer Tapped from Tradition & Passion in the Fraser Valley at Trading Post

By Ashley Lockyer Explorers and pioneers built Fort Langley, and their adventurous nature lives on at Trading Post Taphouse & Eatery. This Fraser Valley microbrewery honours the local land, tradition, and community. They craft small batch beers with names and flavours that raise a glass to brewmasters past and people present. What’s the best way to learn history? Perhaps, it’s over a pint. Sip one of their beers and you’ll get your fill of stories from the Fraser Valley’s past. And, their beers aren’t just available in pints or growlers. You can eat them, too. “Authentic, honest, and super tasty.” Like their pours, dishes here aren’t typical pub fare. You can taste the genuine care put into the ingredients and preparation. The Taphouse’s menu is “Chef inspired, farm driven.” It features seasonal produce sourced from local A Rocha farm. Like Trading Post, A Rocha farm combines their industry’s roots with…

Brunch in Metro Vancouver October 20, 2016

Breakfast in a Bookstore at The Fraser Valley’s Fort Langley

By Ashley Lockyer The Fraser River gold rush only lasted from 1858 to 1865, but riches are still found in BC’s Fraser Valley when it comes to breakfast and baked goods (even some gluten-free gold). At Wendel’s Bookstore & Cafe you can devour a hearty brunch before you conquer the historic Fort Langley itself – a former Hudson’s Bay trading post – or just sip local coffee and adventure into a novel. You can’t miss the cafe’s saloon-style building in the heart of town. From the sweeping patio bannisters to swinging doors, the cafe is a stronghold for breakfast classics: golden omelettes, pancakes, eggs benedict, and well-seasoned hash browns. The cafe offers a taste of the area alongside the town’s BC heritage. All plates are made from carefully selected ingredients, using products like cage-free eggs, wild salmon, organic flour, and everything is locally sourced as much as possible. Every slice…

Wineries September 27, 2016

Pairing History and Fruit Wines at the Fort Wine Co.

By Kathy Mak When it comes to fruit wines, it seems those made from grapes get most of the love. But in the Fraser Valley, wines made from fruit beyond grapes, especially berries, are thriving and rising in popularity. There are nearly as many non-grape fruit wineries as there are grape-based fruit wineries, and it’s easy to see why when there’s a plethora of berry farms in the region. The first berry farm in the Fraser Valley to produce grape-free table and dessert wines was the Fort Wine Co., which started as a cranberry farm. In 2001, their winery opened on the farm and today is one of a dozen wineries, and growing, in the valley dedicated to making berry-driven wines. They are also the only fruit winery in the Fort Langley area. The wine maker, Toby Bowman, takes the lead in producing 10 different fruit wine varieties (5 table…

Festivals & Events September 22, 2016

From Farm to Table and Back Again at Feast of Fields in The Fraser Valley

By Ashley Lockyer Take a gourmet stroll off the beaten path, spend the afternoon with top chefs, and leave filled with stories of food and the people that bring it to life. Local culinary celebrations don’t get bigger than the annual Feast of Fields festival, held this year at Laurica Farm and Fraser Common Farm in Langley. Once you wander through the gates (and past some goats and pigs), British Columbia’s food and beverage artisans await to offer a complete taste of the region. Guests meander between tents and sample dishes that highlight local produce, prepared by more than 50 restaurants, farmers, and beverage crafters. Live music, orchards, and the open sky provide ambiance. Whether you’re into craft beers, ciders, or wines, or are looking for a chance to experience the province’s culinary creativity this “wandering gourmet harvest festival” includes items you won’t find on restaurant menus. And, it’s not…

Farms September 13, 2016

A Trip to Milner Valley Cheese in Langley: Proof That Farming Evolves

By Nikki Hillman Every Sunday, when I was younger, my family would take the car for a drive. There was usually a rough idea of where we were going to explore; sometimes it was a new neighborhood with half-finished homes for us to wander through or sometimes it was just a drive through the farm areas of Maple Ridge, Langley or Abbotsford. Now that my children are old enough to be on their own, we’ve also started to take Sunday drives but I like to have a destination, and for this trip I chose Milner Valley Cheese. I’d read about them online and I was intrigued by the idea of goat’s milk gelato. I was also surprised to find out that while goat’s milk contains lactose it doesn’t contain a certain type of protein found in cow’s milk. This protein can be what lactose intolerant people are allergic to and…

Festivals & Events August 30, 2016

BBQ Off the Bypass Sizzles in Langley

By Catherine Dunwoody September 11th should be a fun day when the annual BBQ Off the Bypass competition returns for its 11th year, and includes the Great BC Bake-Off. Free to attend, but with admission donations much appreciated in support of this year’s charitable partner, Tiny Kittens, the event is family-friendly. Teams of BBQ-skilled folks from BC and Saskatchewan, plus our neighbors in the USA including Washington State and Montana, compete for the grand prize of $5,000. That winner qualifies then to compete in the Jack Daniels World BBQ Championships in Tennessee, and the American Royal BBQ in Kansas City. The audience attending gets to reap the rewards right off the grill, sampling slow-cooked meat and vibing to live music. Lover of good Southern-style BBQ? Get ready to witness grill masters show off their culinary talents in the categories of chicken, brisket, ribs, and pork. Returning for its 7th year…

Farms August 23, 2016

Small Batch Hand-Crafted Sips from Fraser Valley Cider Co.

By Catherine Dunwoody Owner Rachel Bolongaro was a chemical engineer for 20 years in Switzerland at a pharmaceutical company, which she claims was “quite useful,” when it comes to running her Fraser Valley Cider business. “I figured that if I could do that I could probably whip up a batch of cider,” she laughs, “I’ve always been a home brewer/winemaker and I decided to take this idea further and start my own cidery.” “There are cideries in the Okanagan and on the Island but nothing here on the Lower Mainland. My engineering training has been invaluable when it came to project managing the construction of the cidery and navigating the regulations and permitting requirements,” she says. “We’ve also been able to engineer most of our own equipment which has saved us considerable amounts in our set up costs. And of course when something goes wrong its super-fun to roll up my…

Festivals & Events August 16, 2016

Langley’s Fork & Finger Foodie Event

by Catherine Dunwoody Summer in downtown Langley just got even better, especially for food aficionados. On August 27 11am-4pm, downtown Langley’s best restaurants gather in McBurney Plaza featuring exciting demonstrations by local chefs and live music performances to set the tone. Featured culinary on-stage demos like summer grilling, al fresco entertaining, and paella with Chef John Walls are not to be missed. Here’s how it works: you pick up your Fork & Finger Passport in McBurney Plaza, and then collect Passport stamps by visiting participating restaurants to purchase a $5 Sampler. Return completed passports to McBurney Plaza and be entered to win over $1000 Downtown Dollars. Some foodie samplers to whet your appetite? How does gelato with your choice of flavoured olive oil and Maldon sea salt from All of Oils sound? Or a crispy rice lettuce wrap with cured pork, shredded coconut from Naka Bistro Lao & Thai Cuisine?…

Sweets August 10, 2016

Learn how to Pair a Pie at Hilltop Cafe in Langley

By Ashley Lockyer “Decide on a pie, yet?” A voice sings the question while the coffee is topped up. I’m on my second fork-full of an omelette at Hilltop Cafe in Langley, BC. Pie pushing at 8:30am might seem odd elsewhere but here there’s one for every occasion, including breakfast. Despite a sign that has read “home of famous pies” since 1950, slices had been going out of style at Hilltop Cafe for decades. When sisters Andrea Zaiser and Sandy Parley took over in 2011, it became their mission to bring back the pies! It’s been a hit, drawing people far and wide and has even started a food trend for wedding pie instead of cake. These sisters pair pies with meals like sommeliers pair wines with cheese. Andrea offered some advice on what to try when you stop by. What’s best for breakfast? After a hearty, savoury breakfast satisfy…

Farms July 7, 2016

Blueberries: Summer’s Top Pick at Weller’s Blueberry Farm in Langley

By Kathy Mak Nothing says summertime more than fresh berries, and blueberries are literally the star berry of the season! There’s no better place to enjoy fresh blueberries than in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. It may be surprising to some, but blueberries are Canada’s largest fruit crop by acreage. According to the British Columbia Blueberry Council, Canada is the world’s third largest national producer of highbush blueberries with the majority grown by 800 blueberry growers in British Columbia. The bulk of the B.C. blueberry farms can be found right here in the fertile Fraser Valley! Indigenous to North America, wild blueberries were highly regarded by the Aboriginal people who picked them for food and medicine. They were referred to as “star berries” because of the five-pointed star on the blossom side of the berry. Cultivated blueberries, known as the highbush variety, started in the early 1900s. Today, 90% of the…

Farms April 8, 2016

Gojoy: Goji Berries of the Fraser Valley

By Kathy Mak The latest point of pride for Peter Breederland is a berry that is virtually unknown in North America but lauded as one of the most nutritionally rich foods on the planet. The ellipsoid, jelly-bean shaped berries are bright orange-red in colour, 1-2 cm long, tart-sweet in flavour, and are most commonly referred to as ‘goji berries’. Breederland, based in the township of Langley, is considered B.C.’s first commercial grower to cultivate and harvest fresh goji berries. Already a successful horticulturalist in the Fraser Valley for the past 23 years, as owner of Topgro Greenhouses (specializing in mini-bell peppers), Breederland jumped at the challenge of growing goji berries when he was looking for a new and unique crop to expand his farm. With little to no existing information to guide him for goji berry farming, Breederland had to pioneer his own growing practice from scratch. After five years,…

Shops & Markets March 21, 2016

Freshly Crushed All of Oils in Surrey and Langley

by Catherine Dunwoody Any serious food lover knows that not all olive oils are created equal, not by a long shot. As wide in variety and as subtle in nuances for the palette as wine, the Fraser Valley is home to All of Oils, with 2 locations; one in Langley and the other in Surrey. Wife and husband proprietors Kimm Brickman-Pineau and Glenn Pineau carry only certified, ultra-premium extra virgin olive oils (EVOO), plus a number of flavoured oils and balsamic vinegars. “Many of our products are also certified organic and our supplier, Veronica Foods Company of Oakland, California is registered on the Non-GMO Project,” says Glenn. The products are sourced from select, high-quality growers all over the world, some of the Italian balsamic vinegars are aged up to 18 years, and every item sold in the stores, or online, has a complete backstory, referencing when it was made, the country…

Cafés in Metro Vancouver November 6, 2015

All Roads Lead to Great Coffee in Metro Vancouver and Beyond

By Kathy Mak Coffee, served hot or cold, is arguably the world’s most popular beverage. In the ranking of best coffee cities in the world, Vancouver has become one of the undisputed top ten leaders. The obsession with coffee, particularly independent coffee shops/roasters, is a big part of what defines the city’s foodie culture, as much as craft breweries, food trucks, farmers markets, boutique eateries, etc. And, the love affair with java extends throughout the Fraser Valley. To truly appreciate the local coffee scene, grab your travel mug and follow this itinerary to sip on some of the best coffee, and special accompaniments, at a batch of unique micro-roasters in Greater Vancouver. As the saying goes, “life is too short to drink bad coffee.” If you crave unique coffee flavours that are ethically sourced, then you may be part of a growing trend of coffee connoisseurs that support indie-owned coffee…

Wineries September 24, 2015

Video: Langley’s Backyard Vineyards

Farms August 21, 2015

Walnut Wine, Artisan Preserves and More at Vista d’Oro Farm

By Nikki Bayley How about some walnut wine, artisan jam and a picnic under a shady tree? There’s plenty to explore in south Langley and the Vista d’Oro farm makes for a fun day out for all the family. Since taking over an ex-dairy farm in 1997, Lee and Patrick Murphy have created a beautiful 10 acre farm on Campbell Valley Park in the heart of the Fraser Valley, just four blocks from the US border. Growing a mixed bag of orchard fruits such as apples, pears, plums and cherries, there’s a vineyard onsite too, producing their estate-grown Marechal Foch wine. We spoke to co-owner Lee about what’s happening on their farm and why it’s a must-visit for foodies. “We’re part of the Campbell Valley wine route,” says Lee, “There ‘s a great little micro-climate out here; it’s pretty small, just four of us, but people seem to love it.…

Metro Vancouver Chef Stories August 19, 2015

Vikram Vij’s Delectable Delights in and around Surrey

Just an hour’s drive from Vancouver lies one of the region’s most delicious culinary destinations: from wineries and cheese makers, to one of the country’s most exciting Indian restaurants, the area surrounding Langley and Surrey has it all. Celebrity chef and famed restaurateur, Vikram Vij is one of the region’s most ardent fans, “It’s like being in the countryside without having to go far from the city,” he enthuses. “You can rent a car and drive through the mountains and past the ocean, you don’t have to take a plane or a ferry, it’s right here and the best of the best foods come from this area. We’re so lucky to have everything to make a great culinary destination right in our backyard.” It’s an area that many visitors might miss out on, but Vikram says they’ll be missing a treat if they do– and he has a few recommendations…