We are over the moon to announce that our packaging refresh for Cambium Cider has won a silver medal in the prestigious 2025 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition! Discover how our nature-inspired design, led by our talented designer Marina, brought Cambium's orchard legacy to life.
After teasing followers on social media with the sneak peeks of the label under development, the wait is over.
Okanagan Crush Pad announces its 9th Wine Campus project, this time, a collaboration with Matthew Landry.
The results are in! Blue Grouse Estate Winery has been named (for the second year in a row) as the Best Island Winery by readers of Times-Colonist, Vancouver Island’s main newspaper.
16576 Fosbery Rd Summerland, BC
Every Thursday
from July 4 to August 29 – From 7-9 PM attend Live at Crush Pad and listen to a variety of live music performances while you drink locally-made wine at Summerland’s Okanagan Crush Pad. Tickets are just $25 per person. Gates open at 6:30 PM.
Live at Crush Pad features renowned artists including Trailerhawk, The Fugitives, Rob ‘n Walker, Tiger Moon and many many more!
Okanagan Crush Pad’s wine brands (Narrative, Free Form & Haywire) will be available for purchase. Guests can also buy food from on-site food trucks.
View the upcoming musical acts and purchase your tickets online HERE.
Find more information and RSVP to Live at Crush Pad on Facebook.
To show appreciation for 15 years of support, Well Seasoned owner Angie Quaale & her team invites the community to join them in celebration on August 13!
Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store is celebrating its 15th birthday!
Join the party during the Hot August Nights Open House tasting event on Tuesday, August 13 from 6-8 PM, at the Well Seasoned store (#117-20353 64 Ave, Langley BC).
This FREE, giant open house is where you will sample and shop tons of delicious local products, meet with the makers, and wish Well Seasoned a happy 15th birthday. The more the merrier!
Check out the event on Facebook or visit http://www.wellseasoned.ca/happybirthday.
Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store celebrates its 15th birthday on August 13th
From its humble beginnings on the Langley Bypass in 2004, Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store has not only established itself as the go-to for foodies in the Fraser Valley, but it has also gained recognition across the country for its vision, trendy food creations, and championing the support of eating local.
From the start, owner Angie Quaale’s goal was to make Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store a launch pad for small scale food producers and locally grown items. Over the last 15 years, Well Seasoned has supported hundreds of brands and even created many of its own. Now it’s time to celebrate all they have accomplished.
““Nothing is easy,” she notes. “Owning a business is hard. It pushes every limit you have ever had. We work hard to set ourselves apart and we offer a service (hands on classes) that you can’t get online.
”My hope for the next 15 years at Well Seasoned,” she continues, “is that it continues to encourage people to eat well, to make real food at home & share it with family and friends.””
Grand Re-Opening of Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store in 2014
On the celebration of the store opening with the launch of the Well Seasoned Store sign, a customer says “I hope you know the debut of your sign was just the start of something more than just a business. You inspire, encourage and support so many of us business owners. You have set an example of authenticity, loyalty and integrity.”
Read below to learn more about how Angie Quaale and Well Seasoned came to be.
Her titles range from trusted food expert, businesswoman, BBQ champion, and municipal leader (to name a few). Not many accomplish even one of these goals in a lifetime, let alone all of them - yet these are just a fraction of the triumphs of Fraser Valley’s gourmet gem, Angie Quaale. Quaale, a true foodie, has dedicated her entire working life to the food and hospitality industries, elevating every year.
Before opening Well Seasoned, Angie enjoyed a successful career in the food service sector, specifically working for manufacturers on specialty food distribution and menu development throughout North America.
She opened the doors to her little gourmet food retail store off the Langley Bypass in 2004 and brought a new food culture to Langley. At Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store, in Langley BC, she and her team combine her expertise in menu development and retail food distribution to bring food lovers the latest in food products and cookware from across the globe. (They relocated to a larger space in 2014 on the store’s 10th birthday.)
Quaale established cooking classes presented by local chefs and a catering arm for her store; both of which remain at capacity; educating the public and serving their party needs. She has innovated many recipes and introduced them to the western Canada market, such as chocolate salami, grab-and-go casseroles, and the bacon chocolate chip cookies that Vancouver Magazine listed on its 101 things to eat before you die!
Kicking off Summer 2019 Well Seasoned was just named Best Specialty Gift Store, and Best Caterer from the Langley Advance Reader’s Choice Awards.
Angie Quaale, 15-year owner of Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store
Outside of Well Seasoned, Quaale enjoys sharing her insights on food trends as a sought-after culinary trend expert and recipe developer. She is a regular guest with cooking segments on Global BC, City TV, and CTV Vancouver, is a contributing culinary expert on CBC Radio and also for Black Press. Quaale can also be seen doing cooking demos at various events and shows throughout the region.
And she demonstrates strong industry-leadership: she is past president of the BC chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier, past president of the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce, past chair of Tourism Langley, and founder of the Langley Community Farmer's Market. Angie was also named the George Preston Memorial Business Person of the Year by the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce. She has also been recognized by Women’s Enterprise Centre as one of BC’s 100 New Pioneer Women Entrepreneurs. In 2006 Angie was recognized by the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce as the Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2007 as the Small Business of the Year.
If her store ownership and community involvement isn’t enough, Quaale also spent many years practicing and mastering the art of Low & Slow, traditional Southern Style BBQ, and a decade competing in BBQ competitions all over North America. She and her partner David Gassaway represented Canada at the Jack Daniels World Invitational BBQ Championship in Lynchburg, Tennessee where they won first place awards for "Home Cooking from the Homeland" and the "BBQ Desserts" categories.
They also competed in the American Royal Invitational BBQ Championships and won multiple Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion awards at prestigious BBQ competitions throughout Canada and the US.
Spring boarding off this, Quaale brought BBQ home to Langley. She hosted and produced “BBQ off the Bypass”, a sanctioned competition that saw entries from throughout the Pacific Northwest, and ran for 11 years. She also produced the “Barn Burner BBQ” competition in Chilliwack.
Today, Quaale and Gassaway have stepped out of the competitive spotlight. They still have a passion for BBQ, but now they spend more time cooking for friends and less time on the competition scene.
Giving up BBQ made room for Angie to pick up where she left off after co-founding the Langley Farmers Market and continue her advocating for all things local. Highlighting the strong relationships with the farmers, producers, and chefs who live there, Angie wrote her best selling cookbook Eating Local in the Fraser Valley, published by Random House in 2018.
Featuring more than 70 locally-inspired recipes, this combination cookbook/guidebook is the perfect companion to one of Canada's most celebrated food and wine regions. At the time of this writing, her cookbook has been shortlisted in the nominations for the 2019 Taste Canada Awards.
For the past two years, Quaale has hosted a community potluck at her store. “Project Potluck” is inspired by her friend Julie Van Rosendaal who made a call to action for people to gather and share food in opposition to hatred. More than 100 people have come to Well Seasoned each year to break bread, share some laughs and get to know their community.
Quaale is connected to food trends and takes tremendous pride in her ability to teach home cooks how to make better food at home. Her fun, commonsensical approach, passion for reducing food waste and working with as many local, seasonal ingredients as possible is just part of what makes Quaale’s cooking style relatable.
Quaale is a true foodie, businesswoman, and trailblazer due to the pioneering nature of her work that she chooses to share with her community and beyond.
With Well Seasoned turning 15 this year, it’s the perfect time to celebrate all these accomplishments and those yet to come.
The team at Okanagan Crush Pad Winery is pleased to announce that Lesley Brown has joined its team as vice president sales and marketing, to lead the company’s Vancouver based HQ Wine & Spirits division.
After designing more than 50 wine labels, the Town Hall Brands design team is thrilled to share our first cider branding project. In celebration of World Cider Day (June 3) meet BC’s newest craft cidery: Woodward Cider Co.
Christine Coletta, owner of Okanagan Crush Pad, has been honoured with the 2019 Trailblazer Award by the BC Chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier during the Where magazine Where to Dine Awards celebration.
In 2012, when Paul Brunner and his family took over the pioneering Blue Grouse Estate Winery on Vancouver island, they could not have predicted what they would undertake over the next seven years.
Investments include major upgrades to the winery and property, going organic, and now, this season, the evolution of Blue Grouse includes a label refresh
Heroic viticulture refers to the challenge cultivating vines in regions with hillsides and steep slopes - like Conegliano Valdobbiadene
Attending ProWein? Make sure to check our client’s booth at the event. The consortium of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and will be celebrating with attendees at the fair.
In Düsseldorf, Germany from March 17th to 19th, the Producers’ Consortium of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG invites you to taste their vintage 2018 selection of sparkling wines from the historic area of Prosecco production, Conegliano Valdobbiadene, including Cartizze and Rive.
The Producer’s Consortium booth can be found, at Hall 15 stand F21 and is hosting 24 DOCG wineries, including small producers and big sparkling wine companies. The producers will be present on site, an opportunity to exchange knowledge about this historic area of Processo production with the specialists.
The name Prosecco Superiore DOCG signifies top quality and highest standards in the vineyard and winery, as well as concentrated flavour and balance within each sip. Their tradition has been recognized over the last five decades and we are proud to represent the Consortium and their legacy in Canada.
The Vancouver International Wine Festival is Feb 23 - March 3, 2019. Town Hall Brands is proud to do the PR for TIME Winery, as well as Okanagan Crush Pad, which has two tables: for its Free Form and Narrative labels. These are must-see BC wineries. Let our team know if you need more information or want to meet the people at these brands.
Following the success of Aladdin last year, and The Little Mermaid Jr. in fall 2018, The Children's Theatre of Richmond Association is prepared to step into the spotlight in 2019.
We now have dates for two of their productions: Cinderella G2k and Mary Poppins Jr. and e would love for you to help us spread the word for this burgeoning theatre company.
Cinderella G2K
Date: May 17th - 20th, 2019
Location: Granville Island Stage, Vancouver, BC
Booking details: Please pay attention to ctora.ca official website
Fun fact: director Heather Ondersma has worked on Broadway!
Mary Poppins Jr.
Date: November 22 and November 23, 2019
Location: Massey Theatre, New Westminster, BC
Booking details: Please pay attention to ctora.ca official website
Fun fact: director Emma Swords was the creative director for The Little Mermaid Jr. (photos below)
Founded by Lily Yuan, the Children's Theatre of Richmond Association(CTORA) is a non-profit organization that provides opportunities to support young artist and youth in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver community.
Youth Performers are cast each year to perform in annual musical productions that showcase their artistic talent and passion, while providing an opportunity to learn from some of the best artists and musicians in British Columbia. Past musical productions include: Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid and more. Learn more at CTORA.ca
Media: please email us at info@townhallbrands.com if you want more information or interview opportunities.
[Summerland, BC] Okanagan Crush Pad winery announces its Haywire Free Form White 2016 has made Decanter magazine’s Most Exciting Wines of 2018 list, placing in the top 10, with a score of 94 points.
In the January 2019 issue, Decanter’s experts from around the world named the top 50 bottles under £60 that impressed them most this year, with Oz Clarke calling the Haywire an “astonishing Canadian Sauvignon Blanc”.
This is the fist time a Canadian winery has made Decanter’s Top 10
The winery, while no stranger to UK wine circles, is beyond excited to have these kudos.
“We are so proud of our team, in particular the work of our chief winemaker Matt Dumayne, and growers Terry Waters and Cathy Banks,” notes winery owner Christine Coletta. “Our mission is to have Okanagan wines stand proudly next to a global selection of respected brands. This recognition shows us we are well on our way to demonstrating that our region can compete on the world stage.”
The focus at Okanagan Crush Pad is on authenticity and quality. Free Form wines are made using organic grapes, native yeast, extended skin contact, are free of commercial additives, have little to no sulfites added, and are unfiltered.
“We found the best way to achieve authenticity of place is to not manipulate or add anything to wine, including oak influence,” remarks Dumayne. “While you need to give up some modern conveniences, with a highly-skilled team with global viticulture and winemaking experience, you can get it right.”
Coletta credits consulting winemaker Alberto Antonini and terroir consultant Pedro Parra for their guiding influence. “Their vision for what the Okanagan is capable of has driven our work.”
While the 2016 Haywire Free Form White is now sold out, customers seeking to experience Free Form wines can visit okanagancrushpad.com.
Okanagan Crush Pad has quickly built a reputation as a premium producer and has received many awards and accolades since its launch in 2011 with chief winemaker Matt Dumayne at the helm. Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie created Okanagan Crush Pad as a purpose-built custom crush facility. Increasingly, the facility is used to craft the team’s own wines and now produces 45,000 cases annually.
From here, their own wines, Haywire, Narrative, and Free Form are made. Located in beautiful Summerland, BC, the winery overlooks Switchback Organic Vineyard, a site that is also home to chickens and ducks. Dumayne and his cellar team craft wines using concrete wine tanks, native yeast and minimal winemaking intervention. The wines reflect the region’s unique high mountain/northern desert setting noted for its intensely hot, short growing season with hallmark cool evenings and winters that bring a protective covering of snow.
Visitors to the tasting lounge, set in the heart of this state-of-the-art facility, get a rare glance into the art of winemaking. Watch the cellar team in action, discover concrete tanks, and learn how the team composes wines that are definitive expressions of their vineyards.
For more information visit: okanagancrushpad.com.
L-R: Okanagan Crush Pad chief winemaker Matt Dumayne, owners Christine Coletta and Steve Lornie Credit: Lionel Trudel
[Richmond, BC] Following the success of Aladdin last year, and The Little Mermaid Jr. last month, The Children's Theatre of Richmond Association is not ready to step out of the spotlight just yet.
Tickets are on sale now for this weekend's production of another Disney classic: Beauty and The Beast Jr., (December 7 and 8, 6:30 pm at the Norman Rothstein Theatre, Vancouver) and the company returns in 2019 to present Cinderella (G2K) and Mary Poppins Jr..
And... The Little Mermaid Jr. Returns!
By popular demand, the "Little Mermaid" will be performed again, this time at the Gateway Theatre in Richmond. The dreamy show, which ran at the Massey Theatre last month for nearly 2,500 spectators, will once again enchant, with an innovative 3D interactive background, intricate hand-crafted scenery, and best of all: the same talented cast and crew will play out this wonderful story.
The CTORA’s The Little Mermaid Jr. returns in 2019.
In addition, The Children's Theatre of Richmond Association has finalized "Cinderella (G2K edition)" and "Mary Poppins Jr." as the 2019 dramas and will present more beautiful musical works in May and November respectively.
Lily Yuan, founder of The Children's Theatre of Richmond Association and play producer shares: "It has been my dream for youth to perform in productions to showcase their artistic talents and passion. I am so thrilled that we are bringing this dream to life with these upcoming productions."
Yuan has been on a mission to provide an opportunity for youth to perform and learn from some of the best artists and musicians in British Columbia. She looks forward to the Little Mermaid's return. "The actors' understanding of their characters is growing with their age, the arc of these characters and the dramatic tension will also further develop, and the vivid back drop will again be included in the 2019 show."
"...and in 2019," she continues, "the show will be staged in other cities, so those who missed the first run have another chance to see it."
Auditions On Now for 2019 Productions
Lily Yuan does not rest. On December 9, right after Beauty and the Beast Jr., casting takes place for the new play "Cinderella G2K" set for 2019. So far, more than 400 young music lovers and more than 100 local professional actors have submitted audition applications. These 500 applicants will be narrowed to 90 call backs on Dec 9.
Yuan shares, "There is so much talent, but eventually only 25 people will be selected. Cinderella will return to the stage first, to highlight the actors' performances with traditional sets and gorgeous costumes, bringing the audience into the world of fairy tales."
The Little Mermaid utilizes state of the art background technology and costumes.
Beauty and the Beast - *LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN*
Date: December 7 and 8, 2018
Location: Norman Rothstein Theatre, Vancouver, BC
Booking details: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/361520
Little Mermaid Jr.
Date: TBA 2019
Location: Gateway Theatre, Richmond
Booking details: Please pay attention to ctora.ca official website
Cinderella G2K
Date: May 2019
Location: Granville Island Stage, Vancouver, BC
Booking details: Please pay attention to ctora.ca official website
Mary Poppins Jr.
Date: November 2019
Location: Massey Theatre, New Westminster, BC
Booking details: Please pay attention to ctora.ca official website
Photo library: https://bit.ly/2Cu6JyE
Get Social with the CTORA
Instagram: @ctora.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/childrens-choir-of-richmond
Abbotsford winery heads into winter with recognition for its quality and service
[Abbotsford, BC] Singletree Winery is proud to share they have captured a Business Excellence Award for Best Tourism Experience.
Presented by the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and The Abbotsford News, the 23rd Annual Awards ceremony took place November 23, to recognize outstanding organizations and individuals in Abbotsford that strive for excellence in the community. Thirteen awards were handed out, with Singletree earning the trophy for Tourism Excellence.
Sponsored by Tourism Abbotsford, the Tourism Excellence award demonstrates that Singletree Winery is a leader in its industry, with a commitment to customer service, a concern for the community, and a passion for innovation.
Singletree Winery is owned by the Etsell family, who has been farming in the Fraser Valley for over two decades. Under their Singletree banner, and with careful attention to the land, the Etsell Family is committed to showing the world what the Fraser Valley is capable of.
The Singletree Winery team: L-R: Laura Preckel, Andrew, Debbie and Garnet Etsell.
"Our family is thrilled and honored to receive this award of excellence from the business community," remarks winery owner Debbie Etsell. "Family and staff work diligently to make each guest's experience and time at Singletree Winery enjoyable and memorable," she continues. "To be recognized as a leader in this field is truly monumental."
Since establishing their winery in 2015, the family has aimed to provide both a hospitable experience and quality wines, as they forge their place in the British Columbia wine industry. The Abbotsford vineyard and tasting room is located on a 67-acre operating farm in Mt. Lehman, only 45-minutes from Vancouver. 14 acres of estate vineyard contribute to award-winning BC VQA wines. Their tasting room is open year-round to present these cool climate varietals, including their extremely popular Siegerrebe and Grüner Veltliner wines. Visitors love the friendly vibe and the picnic area where they can enjoy locally-smoked meats, cheese and other seasonal selections. Special events held at the winery throughout the year always draw a crowd. The winery's special events area in the heart of the vineyard adds a special touch to weddings, corporate events, birthdays or the winery's own experiences.
In last Summer 2018 the Etsell family purchased a second winery location in the Okanagan on the Naramata Bench. Closed for the winter, the Naramata tasting room will officially open in spring 2019.
The Abbotsford winery is open year-round, and the team invites the public to join them in Abbotsford this winter. On December 8 from 12 to 5:30pm Singletree Winery in Abbotsford will devote the day to "Entertaining with local wine this Christmas". Admission is by donation with proceeds to the Mt. Lehman Community Hall, to assist with renovations. Attendees will enjoy appetizers made with their house-made wine jellies, white mulled wine, recipes for sparkling cocktails. and recipes for entrees with wine.
Check out Singletree on social media @singletreewine to keep up with the latest.
About Singletree Winery:
Singletree Winery Fraser Valley is in the Mt. Lehman area of Abbotsford, and Singletree Naramata Bench opened in 2018. The Etsell family has deep roots in the agricultural community.
With careful attention to their land, they are committed to showcasing the best of British Columbia: the Fraser Valley, which provides a lineup of aromatic, crisp, and juicy wines that highlight this unique terroir; and Naramata Bench in the Okanagan, where the glacial soils and warm climate produce luscious red wines.
Their portfolio includes Siegerrebe, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner, Late Harvest Kerner, Pinot Noir Rosé, Wild Ferment Siegerrebe, a white blend called Homestead, Harness, a Bordeaux-style red blend, and a traditional-method sparkling wine called Victory. The wines are made by second generation family member Andrew Etsell.
The Fraser Valley winery is open for visitors Wednesday through Sunday, from 12 noon to 5:30pm. Naramata is open only by appointment.
Visit singletreewinery.com to join the wine club and for more information on picnics, events, weddings and much more.
