Edible Salt Spring: One of the highlights of a visit to Hastings House is the opportunity to sample the renowned local
products. From the locally caught Dungeness crab and Salt Spring lamb, to the fresh herbs and greens grown on property, a
meal in Hastings House’s Zagat-rated dining room is an epicurean experience not to be missed. But, the gourmet experience
of Salt Spring Island doesn’t end there. Be sure to visit the famed Saturday market, where freshly baked organic breads,
locally made chèvre topped with basil leaves and olive oil, organic ‘just-picked’ apples of all varieties, and handicrafts of all
types are waiting to be brought home. For the ultimate ‘foodie’ day out, take an Island Gourmet Safari tour, with local Salt
Spring resident Wendy Hartnett. These custom designed tours visit a wide variety of vendors (cheese, bread, wine, fruits and
more) right at the source.
New Sculpture Garden: This year the grounds at Hastings House will be enhanced by an exhibition of sculpture and land
art. The show will include renowned sculptors from on and off island and will continue through the summer and early fall.
The opening show features monumental wood sculptures by the remarkable Michael Dennis from Denman Island. Celia
Duthie and Nicholas Hunt of Salt Spring Woodworks, a nearby gallery that specializes in fine and decorative woodwork and
outdoor sculpture, have selected the sculptures for the exhibit. (www.saltspringwoodworks.com) As well as the sculpture
garden in the hotel grounds, which will be open by appointment to the public, there will also be a public sculpture trail with
1.5 kilometers of forest trails with sculptures, onsite installations, found objects and land art.
Celebrate Spring with Rainfest: The second annual Rainfest celebrates the joys of spring on Salt Spring Island. With spring
room rates, culinary delights, and an explosion of spring flowers, you’ll want to do a rain dance to bring on the showers. If
you experience showers during your stay, you’ll receive a gift of a Hastings House umbrella so you can stroll under cover into
the gardens and explore the timeless charm of Ganges village. You’ll also be entered for a chance to win a pair of decorative
hand-painted Salt Spring Island gumboots (perfect as tall flower vases or a whimsical door stops!) The Rainfest menu
celebrates the liquid assets as well, with Drenched Mussels, Duck Soup, Puddled Lobster, Rafted Venison, and Mud Pie,
while rain-inspired drinks such as Cloudy Bay Chardonnay, Mudslides, or London Fog complement the spring theme. A
rubber duck Rainfest keepsake is also yours to take home when you donate $5 to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of BC.
Town & Country Gourmet: Hastings House and the Wedgewood Hotel & Spa in Vancouver have teamed up to lure food
lovers for a decadent three-night getaway, combining a pastoral escape with an uptown fling. Spend a night at Vancouver’s
Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, in the centre of the urban excitement. Enjoy a Menu Gourmand dinner with paired wines at the
Bacchus Restaurant and Piano Lounge, before traveling on to Hastings House the following day to enjoy the fresh air and
relaxing atmosphere of the island. Your day starts with a continental wake-up hamper at the door of your room. Spend your
day hiking, biking or simply exploring Ganges, and give in to those fresh air-induced hunger pangs with your Hastings
House-packed gourmet picnic. At the end of the day, we’ll return to Hastings House where Chef Marcel Kauer will create a
four-course chef’s dinner, inspired by the seasonal harvest from the kitchen gardens.
Crab Catch: Long renowned for having succulent Salt Spring Island lamb as a daily fixture on its award-winning menu,
Hastings House has introduced another delicacy, Dungeness Crab, as a regular feature. Fans of this sweet crustacean will be
enticed with a new package at Hastings House, where you can catch your own crab, become an expert in crab etiquette and
preparation, and naturally, indulge in a variety of dishes showcasing the luscious Dungeness Crab. Outfitted in rain slickers,
guests hop onboard the crab boat and learns the in’s on how to catch and handle these delectable shellfish. After returning
to shore, guests take their catch back to Hastings House for dinner, along with a cookbook packed with crab recipes and a
handy tool to measure crab sizes. Executive Chef, Marcel Kauer, will demonstrate the best way to cook and dress the
crustacean, before he creates a culinary masterpiece of a crab-themed dinner to celebrate the catch.
East Coast to Hastings House in time for lunch? Sounds impossible? It’s surprisingly easy. Catch an early flight from
Toronto or New York and arrive in Vancouver by late morning. A floatplane whisks you to Salt Spring Island in just 20-
minutes, where your lunch table awaits you - on the other side of the continent! Simply book your flight, and let Hastings
House arrange the rest. With one easy call to book the Salt Spring Island Escape Gold Level Package, you’ll enjoy two nightsin an elegant room, a four-course Chef’s menu dinner, a picnic lunch, continental breakfast both mornings, a $100 spa
credit, and best of all, a floatplane flight from Vancouver.
UPCOMING PRESS TRIPS
Catch Your Own Crab (June 2008): This warm weather sojourn is the ultimate hands-on adventure, naturalist lesson, and
culinary experience, wrapped up with a luxurious overnight at Hastings House Country House Hotel. We’ll receive fishing
licenses and don rain slickers, before boarding a crabbing boat to learn about the life of this Pacific delicacy, on its journey
from ocean to plate. Gary LeMarchant, crab fisherman, will help us pull up our own crab traps, imparting crab lore and
showing us how to handle and clean our catch. Back at Hastings House, Chef Marcel Kauer brings his culinary expertise to
the table with instruction on cooking and ‘picking’ the crab, and will demonstrate how to turn freshly caught crab into
delicacies such as crab cakes or crab bisque. The finale, of course, is a delectable dinner of crab dishes in the Hastings House
Dining Room. We’ll also have a chance to visit one of Salt Spring Island’s popular farmers’ markets, where local organic
fruits, freshly baked breads, locally produced cheeses, and all kinds of other treats are on offer to bring home.
Gourmet Town and Country (September 2008): Experience the best of “Town and Country” with this four day excursion
that explores the highlights of Vancouver and Salt Spring Island. We’ll spend a night at Vancouver’s renowned Wedgewood
Hotel, located in the heart of downtown. Spend the day browsing the markets of Granville Island, exploring Chinatown, or
shopping on famed Robson Street. We’ll feast on a Menu Gourmand dinner with paired wines at the Bacchus Restaurant
and Piano Lounge, before traveling on to Hastings House the following day. Once on Salt Spring, we’ll relax and explore the
best of the island (hiking, biking and gallery hopping all possibilities), fueled with a gourmet picnic to perfect for a day of
exploration. There will also be plenty of time to visit the local farmers’ market, savour the fresh ocean breezes from a seafacing
Adirondack chair, or simply relax. In the evening, we’ll reconvene in the dining room at Hastings House where Chef
Marcel Kauer will create a four-course chef’s dinner inspired by the seasonal harvest from the kitchen gardens.
*Participation in press trips reserved for approved media on assignment.
For more information please contact:
Canada and Western USA
Jayne Lloyd-Jones
604 - 925 - 8187
jayne@spectacularink.com.
Eastern USA
Meryl Pearlstein
917 - 359 - 3512
meryl@mdppublicity.com |
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