– by Doreen Marion Gee –
This is the fourth in a four-part series showcasing some of the unique local shops and services the Saanich Peninsula has to offer.
The “wow” factor in Laura Waters’ products takes the breath away. The handiwork in her paper products, cards, gift and soap boxes is elegant and exquisite. Laura’s commitment to excellence gold-stamps everything she creates. Her food products are a shining example, adding a touch of bliss to an ordinary day.
It is easy to see why Laura Waters, owner of Snowdon House Gourmet and Gifts, won Seaside Magazine’s Woman to Watch Award in 2013. Painstaking work and dedication to fine artistry resonate in everything she creates. These high standards flow into Laura’s food line, her focus these days. For example, her savoury dry soup mixes are packed with nutrition and goodness; all you add is water. Surrounded by the rolling fields of her beautiful North Saanich farm, Laura’s “Curried Lentil Soup” fills me with scrumptious warmness. The gourmet cook uses high quality natural ingredients, avoids MSG, and “nothing is genetically modified or treated with extra sulphites.”
Laura’s line of fruit-infused vinegars are one-of-a-kind sensory delights. Made with local or Okanagan fruit and white vinegar, “You always get the taste of the fruit first.” Visitors can try a rainbow of fruity essences from Laura’s sample bottles. The sweet and refreshing “Douglas Fir Infused Vinegar” is a new addiction. Laura uses fir tips from trees on her farm to produce the unique flavour. Her vinegars add a tangy panache to salads, sodas, marinades, casseroles, stir-fried veggies and ice cream.
Snowdon House features “Brie Toppers” – compotes with mango, apricots, chocolate and more. Baked on top of cheese, the result is a gooey luscious marvel. Laura’s chip dips spiced with yams, curry, dill, garlic and onion turn sandwiches and mashed potatoes into gourmet fare. Just add any carbonated beverage to Laura’s “Beer Bread Mixes”, stick it in a pan, and bake. Homemade bread promises instant friends. Especially with hints of lemon, cranberry or apricot, to name a few.
The craftsmanship of Laura’s containers and wrappings is eye-popping; every one is a work of art in itself with silver and gold embellishments, hearts and stars. “Our packaging is very unique and one-of-a-kind.” Laura reveals the philosophy behind her success: “I don’t want to be the same as everyone else. I want to be different.”
There is a simple beauty to Laura’s passion: “I love to create and to see something made out of nothing. And I enjoy sharing my passion and love for what I do with other people – that is probably the most important thing for me.” She wants others to experience the joy that she feels.
Visit her farm and have a new adventure.
Laura Waters thanks her “capable team” and her wonderful customers.
Contact: www.snowdonhouse.ca
