Old Stone Inn

June...where did you go?

The Summer Solstice has come and gone, which means we're officially heading the wrong direction again. Not that you'd know it from the weather. Somebody might want to have a stern conversation with Mother Nature because this whole "June feels like April" thing is getting old.

That said, life at The Old Stone Inn has been anything but quiet.

This week, Ashley & Stathis from Your Farmer's Wife are taking over the kitchen for a Greek cooking class. Stathis is hauling in his famous portable charcoal grill and sharing some of the seafood techniques he grew up with, along with a few other Greek culinary secrets. The best part? You get to sit down afterwards and eat what you've created. And knowing Stathis, nobody is leaving hungry.

Tickets to the cooking class are available on the trusty website: www.oldstoneinn.ca/event-list

The Inn has been incredibly busy this past month. I've welcomed travelers passing through, guests returning to visit family and friends, and people discovering Estevan for the very first time. Yesterday's Father's Day Brunch was a wonderful gathering filled with some of my favourite people, good food, laughter, and coffee that should probably be illegal.

As for me, I'm taking a little break from hosting my own events in July. I keep telling myself that I didn't move to Estevan & transform an old stone church into whatever it is now to work myself to death. The ebb & flow of Inn guests will make it possible to golf a game or two & maybe paddleboard down the Souris at some point.

This summer's project is outside & I'm so excited about it!

After a conversation with Cory Mercer of Oxbow Timbermart, I've been convinced that what the backyard really needs is a proper transformation...a glam up, if you will. Cory & his son, Ace, will soon be laying paver stones to make a courtyard, and with a little luck, imagination, and several hundred trips to the garden centre, we're going to create something pretty special back there.

In the meantime, you'll find me pulling weeds in the evening, plotting landscaping ideas, and occasionally standing in the yard looking skyward asking, "Seriously? More rain?"

Summer is out there somewhere. We just have to lure it to southeast Saskatchewan with food.

As always, thank you for supporting this crazy old stone church and all the adventures that happen within its walls.

— Laurie

Tickets available on the trusty website: www.oldstoneinn.ca/event-list.

See you here!!

We are having a cooking class on Tuesday, June 23 at 6:30PM at the Old Stone Inn!

This will be seafood and bbq forward, our cooking classes are more intimate and you can participate as much or as little as you like! This is for all levels of cooks 🐚🦑

Think of it as a summer barbecue! Old and new friends, hopefully some new flavours and techniques to take home with you. You can come in a group or on your own! All are welcome 🌞

After we cook, we sit and eat together, bonding over our paired Greek wine, hand crafted mocktails, and shared experiences. This has very quickly become one of our favourite things to do and we will have you home by bedtime.

We look forward to whoever comes, it will be the perfect pairing 🍷🫒

Tickets found here

https://www.oldstoneinn.ca/event-details/stathis-ashley-teach-greek-seafood

🚨 FATHER'S DAY IS THIS SUNDAY 🚨

If your plan is to hand Dad a pair of socks and call it a day...we need to talk.

This Sunday at The Old Stone Inn, we're serving up a Father's Day Brunch that doesn't whisper "Happy Father's Day." It shouts it from the roof tops!

🍗 Fried Chicken & Waffles...but the Old Stone Inn way. Crispy, juicy, golden perfection meeting fluffy waffles in what can only be described as a breakfast love story.

🥚 Quiche so good it looks ordinary eggs straight in the face and says, "Thank you for making me look pretty!"

🥓 Thick-cut Stoughton Fine Foods bacon because Father's Day without bacon is just a regular Sunday wearing a fake moustache.

🫐 Fresh baked savoury scones loaded with aged white cheddar, bacon and chive flowers from the garden, served with a blueberry compote that might make you question every muffin you've ever eaten.

🍓 Fresh fruit because balance is important. Also because it makes us feel better about the bacon.

☕ Good coffee.🍹 Loaded Caesars. 🥃 A few boozy brunch options for those who believe Father's Day should come with a proper toast.

Be the hero this Father's Day & bring Dad, sit down, eat ridiculously well and take full credit for the idea.

📍 The Old Stone Inn
📅 Sunday, Father's Day
🎟️ Tickets available now at:
www.oldstoneinn.ca/event-list

Dad spent years teaching you important life lessons. This is your chance to thank him with fried chicken.

Two years ago today, I picked up the keys to a 124-year-old stone church & thought, "Well...this seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to do."

I had no idea!

Since then, this old church has been transformed into The Old Stone Inn, & what a wild, beautiful, exhausting, crazy ride it's been.

In two short years, we've hosted 16 Chef's Table Dinners, countless Afternoon Teas, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, family gatherings, cooking classes, pop-up restaurants, musicians, retreats, & more memorable conversations than I could ever count.

And I say "we" because there is no way I could have done this alone. The incredible women who have stood beside me these past two years have been a huge part of making all of this possible. They've rolled up their sleeves, washed dishes, served guests, moved tables, solved problems, and helped turn big ideas into reality.

Even my mom—83 years old and still showing up whenever I need her. One day she's elbow-deep in dishes, the next she's sitting at the piano filling the church with music. Her support, along with the support of so many others, has been woven into every success we've celebrated here.

Eli Barsi was the very first entertainer at the very first event I ever hosted here—a cocktail & canapé night that feels both like yesterday & a lifetime ago.

Along the way, I've had the privilege of appearing on Flat Out Food, being featured in multiple Sask Today articles, appearing on CTV National News, participating in a Sasktel MAX documentary, completing the AWEsome Tourism Saskatchewan Design Experience, competing in the Prairie Fire Culinary Competition, hosting The Saskatchewanderer here & also being nominated for Best New Business by the Estevan Chamber of Commerce in the EBEX awards. How did I get that lucky??

But the truth is, those aren't the things I think much about.

I'm thinking about the travelers who've come through these doors from all over the world. The friendships formed over breakfast. The guests who arrived as strangers & left feeling like old friends. The ones that come back. I just got a message today from a couple that stayed here last week, who live in Great Falls Montana, that are sending me pictures of their flowers. I absolutely love that.

I'm so proud of Her Circle, the women's networking lunch that started as an idea between Trina Battersby & me & has grown into something special—with Becky Cassidy now joining us as we continue building this incredible community together.

I've doubted myself here & a couple of times looked at myself in the mirror & said, “what the hell are you doing?”…but like I told someone the other day, “This is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”

I've cried tears of joy over victories that would probably seem ridiculous to anyone else—but meant the world to me.

I've met hundreds of incredible people & maybe five as****es.
Honestly, that's a pretty good ratio.

How many hugs do you think I've given? 🤣

Thank you to every guest, customer, supporter, friend, family member, & cheerleader who helped make this happen.

A special thank you to Guideline Construction, whose craftsmanship, patience, & willingness to entertain my endless questions & helped transform this old church into something truly remarkable. I couldn't be prouder of what we built together.

Thank you to the City of Estevan. Every interaction I've had has been encouraging, helpful, & supportive. If you're thinking about moving here to start a business, stop doubting yourself. This community shows up for people who are willing to dream.

Two years down. I can't wait to see what this old church has planned for the next chapter.

❤️ Laurie

What stresses you out about hosting a dinner party?

Is it figuring out what food to serve & if everyone will like it?
The awkward transition from course to course, where you need to get up & not look frazzled?

Trying to enjoy your guests while simultaneously wondering if the chicken is overcooking in the oven because Bob has launched into a long-winded story while your sauce is reducing into something resembling roofing tar?

Is it making drinks, serving food, clearing plates, refilling wine, and somehow being expected to participate in your own party at the same time?

Maybe it's cleaning the house & making sure the bathrooms are stocked.

Or maybe you've always wanted to host something special—a birthday, anniversary, retirement, reunion, engagement party, family gathering, staff celebration, bridal shower, baby shower, or simply a dinner with people you love—but the thought of pulling it all together feels overwhelming.

What if every single stress factor was poof...gone?

What if all you had to do was decide who to invite?

Imagine sitting at the table with your guests instead of running back and forth to the kitchen.

Imagine laughing at the stories instead of worrying about the food.

Imagine the end of the evening without a mountain of dishes waiting for you.

That's priceless, isn't it?

At The Old Stone Inn, you don't have to host the party. You get to attend it.

I'll take care of the food, the drinks, the atmosphere, the setup, the cleanup, and all the little details that turn a gathering into something unforgettable.

You show up. Your guests show up. Everyone eats ridiculously well with the food YOU want to serve.

The evening unfolds exactly as it should. And you get to enjoy every minute of it.

That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

If you've been thinking about hosting something, send me a message. Let's make it easy.

Most hotels give you a room. The Old Stone Inn gives you a story.

Stay inside a beautifully restored 1902 stone church in the heart of Estevan, Saskatchewan.

✨ Three unique guest suites
✨ Legendary homemade breakfast included
✨ Historic architecture with modern comfort
✨ Chef's Table dinners, special events & small-town charm

People arrive expecting a place to sleep.

They leave wondering when they can come back.

Book your stay today and experience one of Saskatchewan's most unique getaways.

🌿✨ GROWERS, RAISERS & MAKERS... I NEED YOUR INGREDIENTS! ✨🌿

Last year, I hosted one of the most meaningful dinners I've ever put together.

This year, I'm doing it again.

On August 14th, I'll be hosting a private Producers Dinner at The Old Stone Inn for the people who contribute ingredients, followed by a public Chef's Table Dinner on August 15th that showcases those same ingredients—and the stories behind them.

But let me explain how this works, because it's a little different than what you might be imagining.

I'm looking for 15 growers, raisers, and makers to each contribute ONE ingredient.

Not necessarily a truckload, but enough for approximately 33 portions so I can feature it in both dinners.

Now here's the fun part...

I'm not interested in serving boiled potatoes with butter.

I'm interested in taking your ingredient and making people say, "Holy hell... I had no idea!"

Sometimes a carrot is just a carrot. Other times, it's a smoked carrot velouté finished with brown butter and garden herbs.

Maybe your beef becomes something you've never imagined. Maybe that chokecherry syrup you've perfected becomes a ponzu.

Maybe your honey, garlic, herbs, berries, eggs, vegetables, or animal...whatever you've lovingly nurtured all season become part of something completely unexpected.

That's the whole point.

To take the ingredients you've grown, raised, or crafted and transform them into something surprising, beautiful, and delicious.

I love pushing myself creatively. I love finding unusual pairings, unexpected techniques, and new ways to make people think differently about ingredients they've known their entire lives.

But this dinner isn't really about me. It's about YOU.

It's about the people who plant seeds in the spring and hope.

The people who raise animals with care and give them names like Daisy and Dolly. The people who preserve, forage, garden, ranch, harvest, and create....because I admire you to no end!

You are the people who quietly make our community richer through what you produce.

On August 14th, those contributors will gather around my big wooden table and enjoy a seven-course dinner built entirely from the bounty of our community.

You'll have the opportunity to tell your story, talk about what you do, meet other passionate food people, and watch your ingredient become something you may never have imagined.

No cost to you other than your contribution.

Then, on August 15th, I'll tell your story all over again as guests experience the public Chef's Table Dinner.

If you've got something special growing, raising, producing, or creating this summer, I'd love to hear about it.

Let's celebrate the incredible food being produced right here in Southeast Saskatchewan.

And let's make a few people say, "Holy hell... I had no idea."

❤️ Laurie

Message me if you'd like a seat at the table and have something wonderful for me to play with.

Two Sundays from today, where will you be? What will you be doing?

Will you be frantically driving around town trying to find a last-minute Father's Day plan while your dad insists, "I don't need anything," despite the fact that we all know that's Dad-code for "I'd actually like something"?

Or...

Will you be sitting around a table at The Old Stone Inn with a cup of pour-over coffee in hand, strong enough to put hair back on his chest, while he tucks into a brunch that was clearly designed by someone who believes Father's Day deserves more than a stale muffin and a paper cup of coffee?

Don't end up kicking yourself because you forgot to plan ahead!

There is nothing worse than the heavy heart of regret weighing you down when Dad says, "Oh, don't worry about it," and you know full well you should have worried about it.

So buy the ticket. Take the ride.

I've got a menu forming in my mind...

Warm savoury scones loaded with aged cheddar, fresh chives & blackberries, served with hot honey for drizzling. Fresh seasonal fruit because balance is important and your mother would want me to include it. Golden crispy fried chicken perched atop fluffy waffles...loaded potato hashbrowns...thick-cut Stoughton Fine Foods bacon...a beautiful slice of quiche because around here real men absolutely eat quiche.

And of course...fresh squeezed juice, the absolute best cup of coffee...maybe a mid-morning cold IPA or even a Caesar dressed up like a first course.

It's hearty & comforting. It's just the right amount of excessive.

Most importantly, it's a chance to spend an hour or two celebrating the guy who made you—or at the very least helped shape you into the fine human being you've become today.

A good meal disappears in a couple of hours., but the memory of it sticks around a whole lot longer.

Father's Day Brunch at The Old Stone Inn.

Bring your Dad. I'll handle the cooking.

Tickets available on the trusty website: www.oldstoneinn.ca/event-list

And, since I won the Dad lottery....here's a picture of us!

I was starting to think spring had packed up her bags, climbed onto a horse & galloped straight past Saskatchewan this year…but alas, she has finally arrived. All 22 glorious days of her before summer barges in later this month. 😕

One of my favourite things in life is planting things, watching things grow & creating spaces where people actually want to linger awhile. This is officially the summer where the yard at The Old Stone Inn finally stops resembling a gravel pit behind a prison movie set & starts becoming the backyard I’ve been dreaming about.

Huge shoutout to my cousin Starr Mercer & her hubs Cory, that own Oxbow Timber Mart for helping bring this vision to life. There will be decks, greenery, cozy corners, twinkle lights, herbs, flowers & hopefully a dramatic amount of me pretending I know what I’m doing with landscaping.

Here’s what’s happening around the Inn this month…with likely more surprises popping up because apparently I don’t know how to sit still.

🌿 TOMORROW ~ HER CIRCLE LUNCH
If you haven’t grabbed your ticket yet, there’s still time. This lunch is quickly becoming one of my favourite days of the month…a room full of incredible entrepreneurial women cheering each other on, sharing ideas, stories, struggles, successes & probably a few laughs that are slightly loud before lunch arrives.

This month’s guest speakers are Velvette Suteau, Shannon Mack & Bailey Yuriy, so this is definitely one you don’t want to miss.

🥓 FATHER’S DAY BRUNCH ~ JUNE 21
Father’s Day at The Old Stone Inn is going to look like brunch jumped onto the back of a wild stallion & took off at full gallop.

The four food dwarfs of happiness...Meaty, Eggy, Cheesy & Boozy will be taunting you from your plate. Loaded Caesars, savoury bacon-cheddar scones fresh from the oven, ridiculously good coffee, brunch cocktails & enough comfort food to make Dad loosen his belt notch halfway through.

Be his hero for once. Show him he raised you right.

🔥 JUNE CHEF’S TABLE DINNER ~ JUNE 19
This one is going to be OFF. THE. CHARTS.

Fresh herbs, edible flowers, spring ingredients, beautiful wines, interesting cocktails, storytelling, laughter & a multi-course dinner designed to celebrate the fact that winter didn’t actually kill us.

Only TWO tickets left to this one.

And because I’m taking a tiny pause from hosting Chef’s Tables in July while I sit in my new backyard sipping something cold & admiring my landscaping empire…this will be your last Chef’s Table until August's Producers Dinner 🥳

The rest of June is packed with receptions, private lunches, guests staying at the Inn, weddings, planning, cooking, laundry & me once again attempting to organize the laundry room…which appears to regenerate chaos overnight like some kind of haunted linen closet.

Nostalgia feels....
Can you believe that on June 15th it will be two years since I got the keys to this crazy stone church & started my thang?! Sometimes I feel I've been here half my life & other times it's like I blinked & two years snapped her fingers & disappeared.

Tickets & info for everything are on my trusty little website:
www.oldstoneinn.ca/event-list

Can’t wait to feed you all this month.

~ Laurie