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Bonshaw Breezes B&B, 2009 Taste Our Island Award Finalist
The Taste Our Island Awards, sponsored annually by the PEI A.D.A.P.T. Council, go to chefs who use and promote Island agricultural products in unique and creative ways. This year the awards ceremony was the highlight of the ‘Roving Feast’’, a signature event of the P.E.I. Fall Flavours Festival. P.E.I.’s food ambassador, chef Michael Smith presented the awards during a ceremony that highlighted both the A.D.A.P.T. Council’s contribution to agricultural innovation and the importance of local foods to the Island’s stature as a culinary destination – second to none.
The council awards one winner and four finalists annually, for their dedication to using and promoting products grown in PEI, in their restaurants. Finalists this year included Bonshaw Breezes B&B. Status as a winner or as finalists of the Taste Our Island Award indicates to restaurant-goers that they are about to eat a meal made from mainly PEI ingredients.
“The Roving Feast and the Taste Our Island Award demonstrates what is possible when chefs and producers are inspired to work together”, said Elmer MacDonald, chair of the council. “The creation of this award was inspired by this shared vision.”
For full article see The Guardian, Wednesday, October 21, 2009.
From: anthony hayter [mailto:
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Sent: August 17, 2009 3:51 PM
To: Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Subject: RE: Taste our Island Award Nominee Bonshaw Breezes B&B
hi to all at bonshaw breezes .we have just heard of the nomination for the taste our island award on our visit to the said b and b we enjoyed the best food on our travels on PEI and indeed on all our trips to canada.the stay was wonderfull as i myself work to grow all my own vegetables. i was impressed with all the fresh produce we had and am only too pleased to endorse our full support to you and we hope to see you again in the near future.we hope you get the award that we think you deserve for all your true effort .regards anthony and jen hayter from england
From:
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Sent: August 17, 2009 5:02 PM
To:
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Subject: Letter of Support
We stayed at Bonshaw Breezes for 3 days in 2007 - what a perfect place. The breakfast was comprised of all local produce - including the bread, jellies and eggs. We have our own layer farm in the USA - so we know what "fresh" is. We would recommend this B&B to anyone.
-Bob Fountain
Pres. & CEO Fountain Agricounsel,
LLCStonington, CT 06378
From: kitty blair [mailto:
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Sent: August 17, 2009 7:06 PM
To: Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Subject: Re: Taste Our Island Award
To Whom it may Concern:
My husband and I recently traveled to PEI and were lucky enough to have Bonshaw Breezes B&B recommended to us. We were guests for almost a week and experienced the gracious hospitality of Sharon and Dave Moore, As neither my husband nor I were great “Breakfast” enthusiasts – we quickly changed our minds when every morning Sharon Moore presented us with 3 or 4 courses of the most delectable and fabulous meals made from fresh home- grown produce or produce from local farms. The food was fabulous – beautifully presented – and oh so “yummy” -- the fresh eggs – pancakes with PEI Maple Syrup and Fresh Fruit galore. The guests around the table quickly became friends and breakfast suddenly became something you wanted to hop out of bed to get upstairs as you smelled Sharon cooking away withA wonderful smile and a glint in her eye – you could tell she loved entertaining and meeting people from all over the world and cooking up her delectable Breakfasts. Should my husband and I travel back to PEI – we would go directly to Bonshaw Breezes B&B and have told many of our friends here what an incredible experience we enjoyed with Sharon and Dave.
Most sincerely.
Kitty and Stanley Blair
From: Sandra Standeaven [mailto:
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Sent: August 18, 2009 12:55 AM
To: Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Subject: Re: Taste our Island Award Nominee Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Hello
My mother and I were very fortunate to have stayed at Bonshaw Breezes B&B.As well as it being a very relaxing few days in a beautiful enviroment, the highlight was the beautiful meals that were served.Sharon and Dave served our daily morning breakfasts with such appeal.We enjoyed the choices of the local eggs, ham, bacon,etc. and fruits and vegetables they picked from their garden.Sharon baked each day using fresh fruits and serving wonderful preserves and honey. I believe the presentation and smells of foods are just as enjoyable as the tastes, and that surely is true of this B&B.During our stay, they were very good hosts, educating us about PEI, the way life is there and the farming and such, that sustains the province.They are true ambassadors for beautiful PEI. Thank you,
Sandra Standeaven
From: Stella Panacci [mailto:
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Sent: August 18, 2009 9:26 AM
To:
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Subject: re: Taste our Island Award Nominee Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Hi Sharon,
Just wanted to let you know that I will never forget the Lobster supper we had at Bonshaw Breezes. It was the best tasting Lobster I have ever had. That accompanied with your garden fresh veggies, and of course the fantastic company of family and friends made for a wonderful memory that I will cherish forever.
Good luck Sharon. I know how hard you work at making Bonshaw Breezes an amazing experience for all your guests.
Stella xo
From:
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Sent: August 18, 2009 11:22 AM
To: Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Subject: Re: Taste our Island Award Nominee Bonshaw Breezes B&B
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Hi Sharon & Dave,
It's so funny, I just said to Mae (Wally's Mom) this morning that a year ago today we were on our trip down east. We're so glad that we went last summer, as Mae was diagnosed with terminal cancer in May. She has cancer in both lungs, as well as lymph nodes and stomach. They only gave her 6 - 12 weeks and she is now in week 15. She has been living with us since she was diagnosed as she wasn't well enough to go home. It's been a very long 3 months. Everyone else is doing great! We talk about our trip often. I guess that's why you never put off what you can do today, you may not get another chance. We talk about how tired we were when we arrived at Bonshaw and how delicious your scones were. I made them just last week, only with blueberries and they were dilicious. I'm trying to make anything that will get Mae to eat. We enjoyed everything about our stay, including the wonderful home cooked breakfast. You are certainly to be commended for not only your excellent food, but also your hospitality.
I want to go back down east again, maybe fly to Newfoundland, rent a car and drive back. We only got to stay in PEI one night so we'll be looking forward to more time in PEI. For now I have my hands full. Take care and good luck with the award, you are very deserving of it. I can't believe it has been a year since we were there.
Take care
Betty Wood
The Grammas from Ontario Crew
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From: mark westbrooke [mailto:
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Sent: August 18, 2009 4:53 PM
To: Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Subject: Re: Taste our Island Award Nominee Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Hi Dave/Sharon
Glad to hear you had a busy summer! I am seriously two hours away, and have not stopped by once, my bad!! I have stayed at the Breezes on many occasions, and introduced colleagues to the warmth and hospitality and especially the awesome food at your fine establishment. Sharon, you always make a point of emphasizing how much of the ingredients to your fantastic meals come from local folks. Good on you, keep up the good work!! Hope to see y'all soon!
m
From: TED AND KATHY [mailto:
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Sent: August 19, 2009 8:44 PM
To: Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Subject: Re: Taste our Island Award Nominee Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Dear Dave and Sharon,
CRAZY busy is contagious, but if you want to get something done, give it to a busy person. It's been almost a year since we last saw you and it still feels like it was yesterday. In the last year we've shared our adventures and stories of our visit to P.E.I. with friends and family. You do know how I love to tell stories. We recognized after we left, what made our holiday so enjoyable was, that we went "home" every night to Bonshaw Breezes. Come inside, kick off you shoes, sit back and enjoy the scenery. Bonshaw Breezes is definitely a home away from home. Kathy and I have always had an eye for small details and an appreciation for people who cherish and utilize their resources. For example, the fresh cut flowers that Sharon grows in her garden. Harvesting only enough to bring their beauty inside the house and leaving much to grow and flourish. Taking only what you need and not what you want is a lost talent. I recall Sharon talking about different neighbors and how each in their own special way contributed to the community. Both of us being from "old school" roots and living in small town Ontario are happy to see that the word community still exists. Then there's the food. MY GOD the food. Sitting at your table was more than just a meal, it was an adventure. Everything was prepared from the finest local suppliers. Herbie's eggs just made last night, some of Noel's potatoes, Debbie's bacon from Vernon River, home made bread, muffins, preserves and please don't forget Fitz's honey from Clyde River. If it wasn't on the island then it wasn't on your table. I almost bought the place next door just so I could come over for breakfast. Prince Edward Island is your home and your passion. Your enthusiasm is contagious. Thank you so much for making our visit unforgetable.
WE WILL BE BACK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ted and Kathy
Dr. Jean Gray,
14 Wedgewood Avenue,
Halifax, NS
B3M 2B3
August 20, 2009
Dear Sharon and Dave
Please consider this a “letter of support” for the Taste Our Island Award. As you know, we recently spent a delightful 4-day weekend at Bonshaw Breezes, attempting to create “memorable experiences” and celebrate a birthday. Part of any “memorable experience” for us includes good food – and you delivered that with skill and grace. Breakfasts were a cornucopia of healthy, delicious, local foods – ranging from eggs to berries to seasonings from your own garden. The main course, whether egg-based or otherwise, was made with products you had selected to highlight PEI produce. You were an enthusiastic supporter of jams and honeys from the Island, and assured that we had an awareness of where the food we were consuming had originated. When we were seeking good restaurants for supper, you were more than helpful in directing us to and assisting with reservations for restaurants that also promoted PEI produce. And we were never disappointed. Finally, on the “birthday”, you provided a wonderful fresh lobster feed which included delicious potato salad (PEI potatoes, of course!), other salads, and a fresh fruit dessert (with a lovely chocolate brownie for the chocoholic birthday celebrant!). Everything was scrumptious – and the “memorable experiences” we had hoped to create were firmly filed away. Thank you for these wonderful culinary experiences and best wishes for the Taste Our Island Award. Sincerely, Jean Gray,
CM, MD, FRCPC
-----Original Message-----
From: Yasmin Nissim [mailto:
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Sent: August 26, 2009 4:21 PM
To: Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Subject: Re: Bonshaw Breezes B&B Taste Our Island Award Nomination
Hi Sharon and Dave!
Hope you two are doing well. We've been away for the past week and are just settling back into work mode, so please excuse our tardy reply. Congrats on your nomination for the Taste Our Island Award!
Chris and I definitely want to lend our support to you.
During our stay, we greatly enjoyed your regular use of fresh local ingredients - your breakfasts were superb! The local fruits and veggies that complimented each morning meal were a great way to start the day - my favourite breakfast was the wonderful omelet our first day, chock-full of fresh local veggies and ham, held together with fresh eggs - awesome! Chris and I were also huge fans of the fruit bowl you prepared (with the dash of ginger), it hit the spot! We especially liked knowing that our lobster dinner and oysters we had our second night were a fresh local catch! The added surprise of a fabulous, organic chocolate cake for my b-day from the local farmer's market was one of the culinary highlights of our stay (the leftovers kept us going on the long drive back to Ontario).
Although we were only able to stay two days, we enjoyed each meal and appreciated knowing that not only were we eating fresh and local at each sitting, but that we were supporting the farmers and growers of PEI.
Best of luck with your nomination - and you can certainly count on us to return so we can taste the Island a la Bonshaw Breezes again!
Take Care,
Yasmin & Chris
From: Sarah Wheaton [mailto:
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Sent: August 31, 2009 5:29 PM
To: Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Subject: Re: Bonshaw Breezes B&B Taste Our Island Award Nomination
To the members of the ADAPT Council:
I'm writing to support the nomination of the Bonshaw Breezes Bed and Breakfast for the Taste of the Island Award.
Although I consider myself something of a gastro-tourist, I didn't really know what to expect food-wise from PEI when I came to visit in late July -- I imagined much more of a feast for the eyes than for the stomach.
But, boy, did Sharon and Dave change that perception! From the moment my mother and I arrived at Bonshaw Breezes, Sharon's detailed list of the next morning's menu made us yearn for breakfast. Some of the highlights included Sharon's delicious berry compote (made with the best selections from Charlottetown's country markets) mixed with creamy yogurt from ADL Dairy Products. I was always torn over whether to adorn my cinammon toast or pancakes with those berries or Ann Worth's maple syrup. (But then I'd decide, hey, it's vacation, I'll use both!) To balance the sweet were the savory flavors of bacon and sausage from Steerman's Quality Meats that are still on the tip of my tongue.
But my favorite experience on PEI (and I'm talking overall, even compared to a visit to Green Gables, home of a very dear childhood friend) would have to be the little oyster happy hour Dave and Sharon hosted for us at their home. They really went above and beyond: We asked for a recommendation about where to try the famous PEI oysters, and after thinking about it for a minute, Sharon suggested, "How about here?"
So the next day, Dave went out to Morning Star Fisheries in Victoria and picked up a bag of oysters. He (very patiently) taught me how to shuck them, and then we all stood around enjoying them, with both traditional toppings like lemon juice and cocktail sauce, as well as Sharon and Dave's own creation, which was a surprisng combination of wasabi and sour cream. We had a great time gabbing and nibbling with Sharon, Dave and the other guests, comparing Island adventures with both locals and fellow travelers. As someone who sees food as an expression of friendship and intimacy, that evening really helped me taste not just the flavors, but also the character, of PEI.
I can't wait for a second helping!
Best,
Sarah Wheaton
Brooklyn, NY
From: Gord Stott [mailto:
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Sent: September 10, 2009 9:35 PM
To: Bonshaw Breezes B&B
Subject: Re: FW: Bonshaw Breezes B&B Taste Our Island Award Nomination
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Hi Sharon,
Congratulations this is so very exciting, although we are not the least surprised it must feel very gratifying to you already and i am sure the" BEST IS YET TO COME"Your hospitality and outstanding food was such an enjoyable part of our PEI experience.Sharon we are thrilled at the possibility of you WINNING and hope you will let us know when you do.
Thank you so much for taking the time to keep us up to speed on your adventure and we will keep our fingers crossed for you.
Best Regards Marie & Gord
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