When the Prima Strada family comes together, great times ensue.
On a recent (and unexpectedly snowy) Monday morning, our team came together for a trip up-island. Our mission: to visit our community partners and learn more/familiarize ourselves with where, exactly, our products come from.
We’re always looking for ways to learn and improve – we know it results in a better experience for our guests. Nothing beats learning and having fun while doing so! Here’s a play-by-play of our recent adventure.
We met up at PPS Bridge and started the day the only way we know how– with PPS’ delicious coffee. Undeterred by the snowy conditions, we piled into two extremely large vehicles and headed to the very place our coffee comes from: Drumroaster in Cobble Hill.
When we arrived, were greeted with smiling faces and treated to cappuccinos galore. Carson brought us to his “coffee laboratory” for a tour – showing us all there is to know about where our coffee comes from – we’re talking beginning to end, from bean to bag!
Fortified with coffee, we headed to our next destination – Fairburn Farm! Despite the heavy snowfall warning, we were excited and determined to meet the Archer family and their water buffalo! It is this local, thriving herd that produces the milk for the traditional buffalo mozzarella used on our Pizze Margherita.
Pictures of these beauties (often mistaken as cows) hang on the wall of the pizzerias – they’re walking out of the barn.
It was snowing a great deal in Duncan! Driving up Jackson Road to the Archer’s farm proved unexpectedly difficult for our lead vehicle. Although we hoped we’d make it, we got stuck! But, there’s something to say about perseverance and team work. We wanted to get there and we did! We all felt great appreciation for vehicle #2’s 4-wheel drive.
We made it to Fairburn Farm for a tour and even a home-cooked lunch! We learned all about “the girls” – how much milk they produce, how much they weigh at birth and full grown, the way the family names the girls (for the first letter of their mother’s name – Sally’s girls might be Seven, Sarah, Sadie … you get the idea) and much more. Our thanks to Darrel and Anthea Archer and their children Richard Archer and Maryann Archer Hartmann for hosting us, sharing their beautiful water buffalo and a meal! We enjoyed scones, buffalo sausage and warmed up with tea complete with buffalo milk! All was absolutely delicious.
After a hard day on the farm, it made sense that our next and final stop was Driftwood Brewery – just down the street from PPS Bridge. There, we learned about their craft beer and sampled all of their flavours.
All in all, a successful trip – one we won’t forget anytime soon.
