TOUR 1 - The Agassiz Tour, $595 per person (9 a.m. - 6 p.m., daily)
As we drive out to Agassiz, your guide will talk about the region and its wealth of culinary resources, the area's 'food heroes' whom we'll meet, and the glorious food and wines we'll taste.
Feel free to ask questions about the food, wines, restaurants, and history of the area. Your guide, a keen professional and foodie (some are chefs), is your key to inside information about the best eating in Vancouver and the region. They've dined widely and have the inside track with chefs and restaurateurs alike.
Our Agassiz tour includes:
- The Back Porch Wake up and smell the coffee at this cool little country coffee roaster and farm business that roasts its beans in a 1919 Flame Roaster. Character farm buildings, chickens, vegetable crops and antique garden décor and collectibles will whet your appetite for what's to come.
- The Farm House Natural Cheeses Here you'll see herds of contented cows and goats, view the cheese-making process, sample plenty of handmade artisan cheeses and enjoy a milk tasting.
- Swift Aqua Culture This brilliant project is a unique land-based aquaculture operation. Each of four 'crops' - freshwater Coho salmon, wasabi, watercress and crayfish are part of an inter-dependant cycle that's sustainable, fascinating and futuristic. These 'crops' are in high demand by Vancouver chefs.
- Canadian Hazelnuts This farm grows organic hazelnuts and produces fresh, roasted, and candied nuts, chocolate bark, protein powder, flour and cold pressed hazelnut oil.
- Al fresco lunch with Fraser Valley wines at Farm House Natural Cheeses prepared by Red House Catering's Chef Sohlberg, or a Quince Express gourmet picnic.
- Limbert Mountain Farm Established in 1902, organic herbs, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh seasonal specialty foods like basil pesto, chestnuts, and garlic are some of Limbert Farm's primary draws. Not to be missed is the striking 1906 yellow farmhouse.
Driving west, our stops (as time allows) may include some of the following:
- Krause Brothers' Farms This family operation is the area's favourite spot for strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. U-pick is popular with home canners who carry out brimming flats of berries. Ready picked baskets and flats of berries, farm fresh vegetables, free-range eggs, and impossibly delicious fruit scones, enormous fruit pies and jams stock the small shop.
- The Fort Wine Co. This award-winning winery crafts distinguished fruit table wines and dessert wines from local cranberries, raspberries, peaches, blueberries, apricots and more.
- Fort Langley A national historic site, built in 1827 by the Hudson's Bay Company as a fur trading post, the Fort features original and reconstructed buildings with charming and informative guides dressed in period costume.
- Milseán Chocolate Shoppe Just one sample of these artisan sweets especially the award winning Milseán Demerara Butter Crunch inspired by an old Irish family recipe and you'll be filling your shopping bags. (Milseán is Gaelic for 'sweet things'.
- Township 7 Winery and Vineyards Prepare to be wowed as we sample some of the best wines in Canada and Gwen and Corey Coleman have the medals to prove it. The wines are always in short supply; if you find something you like, buy it on the spot.
- Vista D'Oro This postcard picture-perfect farm, our alternate lunch option, is home to an artisan woodworker, culinary school, and farmgate shop that sells seasonal heirloom tomatoes, herbs and bedding plants. Chef/proprietor Lee Murphy is renowned for her artisan jams, and stocks local honey, cheeses, pastries and more. And yes, those are pears are growing inside the bottles on the pear trees - future Poire William.
As we head back into Vancouver, your guide will happily field questions about the day, or the evening ahead if you've opted to continue on with us to one of our featured CHEF & CHAUFFEUR dinners.
For more information please contact Diana Becker by email diana@chefandchauffeur.com
