FOOD & DRINK
T wist the lid off a jar of Prince Edward Island Preserve Company “raspberry with champagne” preserve. Savour a spoonful. The flavours are stunning: tart Maritime berries, French wine. In fact, any jar from The Preserve Co. is a heavenly souvenir or gift. Just a trace of apple cinnamon curd with shortbread, or hot pepper jelly on a baguette, calls back to PEI’s blissful seaside summers.
The restaurant’s menu showcases company products. “People drive from far and wide for our potato pie, fish cakes, crisps, raspberry pie, and homemade ice cream,” says Bruce, describing the fare as “rustic comfort food.” This summer, The Preserve Co. will launch a new dining venue--the intimate Garden Theatre Café, which “overlooks the garden and River Clyde.” The space is ideal for social gatherings, Bruce adds, noting that a Celtic harpist will provide lunchtime accompaniment Monday through Thursday.
That’s as Bruce and Shirley MacNaughton intended. The couple founded The Preserve Co. in the 1980s. “In the late Seventies, I was a waiter in Charlottetown,” Bruce explains. “People would ask me for food gift ideas from PEI. All I could suggest were potatoes or a can of lobster.”
In addition, a Tuesday and Thursday “afternoon tea” will debut this summer,
allowing The Preserve Co. to spotlight the dozens of house blend teas they’ve crafted “every day since 1988.” Summer 2018 will also see The Preserve Co. launch a new gluten-
The Preserve Co. Enchants with Island flavours
When Bruce dropped in on a friend’s mother as
free bakery. “Shirley and I both enjoy desserts of all kinds,” says Bruce, “and we know those living gluten- free lifestyles for their health- -or out of personal preference-- have limited options. Now there will
she cooked strawberry jam, he says, he was “intrigued.” During his next visit, “she gave
me a jar. I thought, ‘this is the most wonderful gift--food made with love from something grown on the Island.’”
be more available.” The Preserve Co.’s boutique--overseen by Shirley
The Preserve Co.’s first creations blended Island berries with indulgent liqueurs. Initially sold at a local farmer’s market, jars were soon whisked into luxury department stores like Nordstrom and Holt Renfrew. “That allowed us to stop chasing the world to make a living,” Bruce says, “and invite the world to our place instead. We set up shop in the old New Glasgow Creamery in May 1988, and we’ve become one of the busiest destinations for the Island’s food lovers.” Prince Edward Island Preserve Co. now comprises a full-scale restaurant, tearoom, and bakeshop. It also features vast gardens, a butterfly sanctuary, and a retail boutique. Every jar of fruit preserve is still made in New Glasgow, from Canadian fruit, Bruce confirms.
MacNaughton--carries preserves, syrups, teas and honey varietals, plus gift ware like Dunoon English Bone China. This season, mussel salsa, mustard pickles, and oyster sauce will appear alongside classics such as “strawberry and Grand Marnier,” as well as sugar-free options introduced last summer. A delightful detail: every single one of The Preserve Co.’s retail creations may be sampled before purchase. “You can request a taste of anything in that room that has a taste!” Bruce laughs. Afternoon tea, a garden stroll, and a spoonful of “raspberries with champagne”: it’s hard to imagine spending an afternoon so sweetly.
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www.pei-living.ca SUMMER 2018
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