Do You Want Fries With That?

Changes to ferry’s cafe menu a long time in the making

For many travellers, a trip across the Strait on the ferry evokes many memories, and grabbing a meal from the onboard cafeteria is often among those. Classic fast-food items and quick grab-n-go sandwiches were the staples you found, in fact, last year alone the ferries served up 19,000 hot dogs!

But after months of consultations and planning, Northumberland Ferries Limited (NFL) is launching their new cafe menu on the PEI-NS crossings this summer. Guy LeClair, hospitality manager, NFL, said, “We can see that our guests’ palates are escalating. We want to be part of the Food Island as well . . . we want to up the experience . . . change our menu, make it a little more diverse and a little more healthy as well.”

Working together with Chef Ilona Daniel, and the business’ suppliers, the new menu features local twists on classic foods. Daniel said, “My main inspiration when I sat down to develop the new menu for the ferries, was with a keen focus on nostalgia and fun. NFL has been sailing for nearly 80 years, and for me, building upon that legacy of tradition and nostalgia was very important for me. The stories I heard often revolved around food. There are some classics on the menu which will remain unchanged as they are a quintessential piece of the experience.” LeClair also noted that that suppliers play an important role in any changes made to a menu —for logistics purposes—in ensuring that the appropriate amount of food is available when needed.

“NFL has been sailing for nearly 80 years, and for me, building upon that legacy of tradition and nostalgia was very important for me. The stories I heard often revolved around food.”
~ Chef Ilona Daniel

From new point of sale computers that will accurately track food sales, new LCD displays for menu listings, to the East Coast Snack Shack, a retail space that features local products, the changes to the cafe space have been carefully planned.

“Including more local products was a natural evolution for the NFL menu in my mind,” Daniel said. “We have a unique approach to food and hospitality on the East Coast, and an important story to share with our passengers. For the last decade, I have worked alongside Island producers, and growers collaboratively, nurturing the amazing floating garden which we now refer to as our Food Island. Passengers will be able to take a taste of the Island home with them at our East Coast Snack Shack. It’s snacks, but with a decidedly Atlantic Canadian feel; think Ganong Chicken Bones, Fishcakes from MR Seafood, East Coast Craft Sodas, and Lucky Fox Snacks. We will even be offering a custom flavour of PEI beef jerky from Jercules. It’s playfully named Poseidon, after the god of the sea.”

The new menu launched at the end of May, but have no fear if you are looking for a traditional snack at the cafe. Assuring passengers that the menu hasn’t completely changed, LeClair said, “You’ll still be able to get a hot dog and fries.”

 

About Cheryl Young

A “Jill of all trades” describes Cheryl to a T. From operating her own handyperson company, to selling luxury cars, to working as a film and TV crew member, her resume is diverse. But her dream as a kid was to be a journalist and she started down that path many years ago at CBC Charlottetown. Returning to her journalism roots, she’s excited to be editing Salty’s content and occasionally writing herself.

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