By Stacy Fisher
If you are going to a holiday party and need recipe ideas, or need to pick up a gift for someone on your Christmas list, head down to the Bayview Thriftway this Saturday to enjoy the “Taste the Holiday Spirit” event.
This is Bayview’s annual culinary event and is held on the second Saturday in December from 11am until 3pm. You can expect the entire store to be packed with vendors providing tasty samples and demos. “All the department managers get to choose what kind of product they want to demo. This is an opportunity to taste what is normally considered specialty food items and also some new products,” comments Carol Lundblad, the store manager. Lundblad expects between 30 to 40 vendors to be stationed throughout the store. Many of the vendors are local businesses and all are incredibly knowledgeable about the products.
“We have customers who start calling us at the beginning of November asking when it is,” continues Lundblad. It is much anticipated by the community, and if you haven’t been before, it’s a great time to find out what all the fuss is about. It’s a unique moment where so many people will be available to help inspire your next appetizer or dinner recipe.
Store staff likes to dress up and get into the holiday spirit. Look for the elf, roaming through the store to provide more information about the products and to help find the different demo stations and recipe ingredients. There will also be drawings and give-aways in the different departments during the event.
Bayview catering will be talking about catering options over the holidays. In addition, the Bayview School of Cooking will be providing mini culinary sessions throughout the entire event in their upstairs class space. The demos are free and open to the public. While you are there, check out the listing of upcoming classes. Experience gifts are so popular, and a cooking class is a perfect treat for someone on your list who already loves to experiment in the kitchen, or for children and others who need more hands-on experience. They have a wonderful selection of classes from wine tastings, full meals, to appetizers and deserts; the choices are delicious.
If you are anything like me, you still have a little more Christmas shopping to do. Visit this wonderful locally owned store, restore some energy with some delicious samples, pick up a gift and cross someone off your list.
Bayview Thriftway
516 West 4th Avenue
Olympia, WA 98502
(360) 352-4897
