After ten years in business, Cranewood on Main has found its stride
It’s been about 10 years since Malcolm Fisher and his partner Debbie took over Cranewood, the 187-year-old Georgian style house on Main Street in Sackville, which for decades served as the official residence for the president of Mount Allison University. These days, the heritage building is home to Cranewood on Main, a popular cafe, bakery, and sometimes fine dining spot.
“It’s been interesting because the direction has changed over those years,” says Fisher. “But I believe we found our true place in the community, and this is what we’re building on from here on.”
Over the past year, the building has seen some significant renovation, including replaced doors and windows, and major changes in the kitchen. There’s a new, efficient walk-in fridge and walk-in freezer, and a large ventilation hood system that will allow for use of gas ranges. The floor has also been levelled out to make for a more streamlined workspace and accommodate new equipment. Plans also include an expansion of the seating area on the upper floor, where Bee Boutique was formerly located. It’s all working towards “more Cranewood” as manager Malcolm Campbell describes it.
That means additional seating, and also possibly expanded service. In 2021, Chef Kim Martin partnered with Cranewood to offer fine dining pop-ups in the cafe, after it closed for regular operations at 4pm.… Continue
Chef Kim Martin strikes out on her own, with a little help from Cranewood
After a years of training and working in other kitchens, chef Kim Martin has stepped out on her own with a new dinnertime offering at Cranewood on Main, on Thursday and Friday evenings.
CHMA sat down with Martin one afternoon in June under the white Cranewood tent, to find out more about the pop-up restaurant within a restaurant:
Martin is from Sackville, and studied culinary arts in Charlottetown before going to work in Banff, Winnipeg, Halifax and the Annapolis Valley. For the past three seasons, Martin worked at Bistro Le Chat Bleu in Baie Verte. Martin says she has wanted to branch out on her own for many years, and felt ready to take the plunge this year.
“I’ve been learning, and I’ve been cooking for other chefs, and I was ready. I was ready to explore my own style and be a little bit more independent with my menu.”
Martin says her culinary focus is regional, but with inspiration from beyond. “All over the Maritimes there’s a lot of things to tap into,” says Martin. “I like being in season. I like looking at what we have available at that time, and just going from there,” she says. “I like to also blend in different styles, so bringing what we have here together with what’s available in the world, as far as styles and flavours.”
The timing wasn’t perfect, says Martin, what with public health restrictions limiting capacities and occasionally shutting down in person dining.… Continue