Today we were welcomed into the historic Brockhouse. I have been within this heritage building a handful of times, for special occasions and one wedding.
Brockhouse the largest senior centre in the lower mainland, welcoming over 15,000 members at 55 years plus. Here, organizers hold over 90 different activities, events, and learning workshops for their members. And tonight they joined invited guests and members of the board for an evening of social sips and small bites, an open house of sorts.
Those invited were welcome to explore both floors of the property. Select rooms were set up with tables and place settings to give you an idea of what things may look like if you were to book an event with them.
There was even live music the likes of a harpist to help further the experience.
As the night progressed we would learn that Peake Catering has been awarded the exclusive catering contract to Brockhouse and their society, and would be their official in-house Chef and kitchen. And everyone in attendance tonight would get a taste of what they are all about.
The night began with drinks made at their indoor bar. A classic French 75 with sour cherry.
Guests were then invited to spill out into the backyard, past the DJ and dance floor, where under the covered patio was another bar offering beer, wines, and a mix of cocktails.
Here, the temperate weather and gentle warmth of the sun set the tone to a lovely fall evening. An acoustic musician serenaded us with his indie take on popular classics. All set to the backdrop of the beach in the background. What other venue comes with a view of sand, water, shipping liners, and mountains?
As guests continued to filter in, the Peake Catering team came around with platters of canapés.
The watermelon jelly with blueberry centre was a not sweet, but mild and gelatinous start.
Where as the deep fried vegan mac and cheese balls offered a more savoury bite.
The vegan smoked carrot over a crisp was a terrific plant-based replacement for smoked salmon.
And I could have easily popped several of the small crispy cups filled with crab meat into my mouth.
As the night progressed, food stations began offering more fulsome bites. Cleverly, majority of them featured cold food, which was easier for our caterers to maintain in this outdoor and in-action setting.
My favourite was the one with the ocean view. Where the Peake Catering team were shucking a collection of West Coast Oysters served with grated horseradish, cocktail sauce, & cucumber mignonette.
This station also includes salmon roe blini, poached Argentinian red shrimp, confit tuna belly dip & kettle chips. I liked the idea of the blini, but it just wasn’t the same without caviar.
The shrimp was tasty enough to go back for seconds off. And the kettle chips and dip made for a nice crunchy snack.
The table adjacent had plates of Snake River Farms Wagyu Carpaccio being dressed before our eyes. Thin strips of premium meat that was hard to separate from one another. I found myself balling it all up in one chewy bite.
At the Salad Bar there were two offerings. A Grilled Corn Salad with gem tomatoes, feta,
crispy shallots, and a cilantro lime dressing. A nice, sweet and refreshing salad for those who don’t like it leafy.
Option two was a Harvest Grains options which many preferred between the two. This was Chicchi di farro, edamame, butternut squash, dried apricots, pickled onions, almonds, and acaramelized shallot & cider vinaigrette.
Another popular booth that saw long lines was the one for the pre-rolled, pan fried Butternut squash gnocchi topped with parmesan, chives, & chili oil. A little on the salty side, but otherwise delicious. It was a tease to have such a small portion of of this.
There was also a table of assorted petit fours. A gelatine based Mona Lisa and matcha square, a bite of nut free Marquis, and a vegan Panna Cotta made from coconut and mango. There was also a help yourself table of macarons, all boxed up with two ready to grab and go.
In conclusion, this was a lovely evening and a great way to showcase not only Brockhouse, but highlight their new in house chefs: Peake Catering; and what they are capable of for your next function.
Brock House Restaurant
3875 Point Grey Road, Vancouver, BC V6R 1B3
brockhousesociety.com
