– by Lara Gladych –
Snowdon House Gourmet and Gifts is the culmination of owner Laura Waters’ love of gardening, cooking and art. Laura grows most of what she either dries and packages into mixes for soups, dips, spreads or breads, or infuses into vinegars or essences. Her goal is to make wholesome and comforting foods easier and more accessible for those short on time, and to get people eating around the dinner table again.
Snowdon House soups, breads and vinegars are their biggest sellers, and there are a plentitude of each to choose from. In addition to these are fantastic spreads, dips and toppers too; there’s something for all palates and occasions.
The white wine based vinegars are a great place to start your flavour journey. With tantalizing combinations such as Apricot & Bay, or Arctic Kiwi & Anise, everyone is bound to find a favourite. The fruits and herbs are locally grown, on Laura’s own farm whenever possible.
The 1,600 Douglas fir trees on the property were originally planted as a Christmas tree farm, and this season, Laura will open the farm up to the public for U-cut trees (in limited quantities). Those same trees have been used brilliantly by Laura in many of her products, too. For example, the Fir Essences: sparkling, non-alcoholic beverage infusions, perfect served alone or mixed into a cocktail.
The beautiful handmade paper in which many of the products are packaged are all Laura’s creations. “There’s passion here, and these things take time. There is part of me in this,” she says, and there is an abundance of heart in all that leaves the store.
Laura has put together several gift packs for Christmas. She has done so with great deliberation as to offer popular and practical items that are also priced affordably. The eye-catching Specialty Angels are smaller bottles of either Douglas Fir or Cranberry Rosemary vinegars, each packaged in a paper angel that can double as an ornament. It’s the perfect hostess or teacher’s gift, and also ideal for packing should you be travelling to spend Christmas elsewhere. Other lovely gift ideas are the Comfort Pack for 2, at $15, which includes soup and bread mixes, or the Brie Toppers. No wrapping required. If you’ll be entertaining this December, the Cheese Paté Mix is quick and easy, as is the Salsa Mix, which when combined with the Lemon Verbena vinegar will impress any crowd.
Every Saturday leading up to Christmas this December, Laura is featuring tastings in the store throughout the day. She’ll have all her products prepared and ready for sampling. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Laura’s products are available at over 20 retail locations across B.C., but a trip to Snowdon House proper is well worth the visit.
