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commemorative program june 19-22nd 2015
elements
W O O L W I C H A R R O W
25 years of The Wooly
Celebrating
The Wooly’s Fountain Santos (Service Manager), Neil Dubois (Kitchen Manager), Marc Bosboom (Keyholder), Bob Desautels, Paul Randall (Bar Manager), Court Desautels & Jason Waterfall (Manager) chillin’ in The Speed River
2-3. photospread: ‘The Wooly’ Crew Relaxes in The Mighty Speed
6-7. Looking Back – Reminiscing A Quarter Century of The Wooly
8-9. Save Water? Drink Beer. Now That’s Sexy.
10. ‘Kindred Spirits’: George Eagleson & The Wooly Were Made for Each Other
12-13. 25th Anniversary Weekend Program
14. The Wooly & The Kramdens: Celebrating Silver Anniversaries – Together
16-17. The Wooly & YU Ranch: A Partnership Rooted in Sustainability
18-19. photospread: Beer Delivery Guys/Gals Cycling Club
20-21. The Wooly: Guelph’s Favourite Biker Bar
22. Morton Wholesale Ltd: Like A Member of the Family
Chris Tiessen
Editor. Writer.
Photographer.
IPA or Cider
Cai Sepulis
Art Director.
Illustrator. Designer.
Stout or Dark
‘elements’ is the most recent edition of ‘chamber roots: special reserve publications,’ a series of one-off magazines published by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce for its members.
If your organization is a member of the Guelph Chamber and is interested in having a ‘chamber roots: special reserve publication’ created specifically for you, contact chris tiessen at [email protected]
elements
CONTENTS
IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT TWENTY FIVE
YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE WE OFFICIALLY
OPENED THE WOOLWICH ARROW – A
NEIGHBOURHOOD PUB. It all began with the
support of my great friend, Jean-Pierre Schoch,
who helped fund the creation of what would
simply become known as The Wooly. It’s been
an interesting journey, to say the least. One that
continues to be punctuated, first and foremost,
with the highlight of hanging out with our guests
– indeed, whether it’s the 4:30pm daily bar crowd
or our Friday evening regulars it’s always a treat
to revel in the company of so many folks who
really like our pub. Sharing a pint, some wine,
and of course great food with our guests makes
all the trials and tribulations of owning this
business worth it.
Among my many personal highlights as
proprietor of The Wooly has been meeting
the incredible musicians who perform for our
patrons on Saturday nights. Individuals and
collectives who continue to blow me away with
their passion and talent. We’ve seen a number
of musicians come through The Wooly who’ve
made it onto the national and international
stages – folks who continue to come back to see
us time and again. And while The Wooly has
afforded us the opportunity to have talented
artists entertain our ‘grown up’ patrons in-
house, it’s also provided the opportunity for us
to introduce great music to the youngest in our
community through the Wooly Kinderconcerts
we sponsor at River Run Centre. This music
series for children up to 6 years old introduces
them to classical music, including the various
instruments found in a symphony orchestra. I’ve
made a point of taking my granddaughter, Ava,
to many of the performances and she’s loved
every one of them!
In my office above the pub I keep a collage of
pictures of current and former guests and staff.
Every time I look at the staff pictures, in particular,
I get a flood of amazing memories. There have
been so many incredible people who’ve worked
at The Wooly over the past quarter century. In
large part it’s because of them that I never tire of
coming into the business each morning. Indeed,
I would argue that the secret to The Wooly’s
longevity and success has been its ability to
attract some of the best service and kitchen staff
in the whole region. And it’s the many staff who
have stuck around for several years who give me
the greatest sense of pride as an employer – not
to mention a few who have passed the ten-year
mark.
Our incredible suppliers are also responsible
for our success. From superb craft beers to VQA
wines to top quality meats, fresh local produce
and sustainable fish, we continue to serve our
guests the finest local products available in
Ontario. This approach to business – local quality
first – is at the core of our being. Indeed, it’s in
- Reminiscing A Quarter Century of The WoolyLOOKING BACKELEMENTS OF SUCCESS
Wooly Partners: Jean-Pierre Schoch & Bob Desautels have something to celebrate
our DNA. And to our great delight those same suppliers have
become our strongest advocates. And many are also among
our best customers – how’s that for a true ‘win-win’!?
Another advantage of overseeing this thriving business has
been the ability to give back to community. It was over 20
years ago that we started raising funds for river restoration
projects in the Grand River watershed – a fundraising effort
that culminates each Spring with a superb brewer’s feast
at The Wooly (see centrepage program for this year’s date!).
We’ve also ensured that The Wooly continues to enable local
music initiatives – no doubt in part a ‘selfish’ endeavour as
it’s no secret that Jean-Pierre and I love attending live music
performances as much as we share a passion for supporting
them. Beyond music, we continue to donate money and gift
certificates to a number of charities and sports teams.
This overall focus on the environment, music and cultivating
community in general is, in my opinion, what defines a good
neighbourhood business.
The management company that oversees The Wooly is The
Neighbourhood Group of Companies (NGC). It’s MO –
‘By neighbours, For neighbours’ – sums up the vision and mission
statement for our business. I’d like to take some space now to
thank some of my own closest ‘neighbours.’
Firstly, I’d love to recognize Louise McMullen (21 years with
NGC and counting) and my son Court, whose constant support
over these past decades has made my life at The Wooly and
beyond much easier. Their commitment to our ideals and key
stakeholders has continually kept the ship on course. I’d also
like to recognize and thank The Wooly management team,
who continue to excel in delivering our promise to be what a
neighbourhood business should be for guests, staff, suppliers
and the community – a place to meet and enjoy life. I also want
to acknowledge the undying support of my wife Sue and both
kids, Emily and Court, who’ve helped keep me on an even keel
on the personal side of things for all these years.
It’s been a great ride. Cheers.
Bob ‘Bobby D’ Desautels
Did You Know?
The Wooly’s Bob Desautels has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from the U of Guelph
Wooly Partners: Jean-Pierre Schoch & Bob Desautels have something to celebrate
& Brewer’s Feast, which this year will see two
hundred folks enjoy a magnificent meal paired
with great beer here at The Wooly as well as at
our two Borealis locations.’
‘We’ve pledged to raise $50,000 by 2017
to help fund the creation of a new nature
centre at Guelph Lake,’ adds Bob Desautels,
whose affinity for the Grand River watershed
extends to the creation of a scaled down stone
map of our local rivers on his property. ‘Our
River Fundraiser & Brewer’s Feast, whose
continued sponsorship by Creemore and
other phenomenal partners and suppliers
allows us to give 100% of the dinner’s
proceeds to the GRCF, will help us get closer
to this wildly-ambitious goal.’
And other fundraising initiatives through
the year that see breweries – including Mill
Street, Wellington, Sleeman, StoneHammer
and more – donate $0.50 a pint to the GRCF
While it may lack the sexy brand appeal of the
Brewshed Initiative and while the concept’s
a little different, The Wooly has been pairing
local beer (and food) with water conservation
awareness and fundraising for a quarter
century now – resulting in an eye-watering
$100,000 raised for Grand River watershed
projects.
Yep. 100k.
As The Wooly’s Court Desautels notes: ‘Our
earliest forays into caring for our local rivers
began way back in 1990 when we used to
participate in OPIRG-Guelph’s annual Speed
River Clean Up. As the years passed, our focus
on water conservation initiatives shifted to
fundraising efforts that supported broader
Grand River watershed projects through the
Grand River Conservation Foundation.’
Continues Court: ‘In more recent years we’ve
fine-tuned our fundraising recipe through
the creation of our annual River Fundraiser
IN 2012, THE NON-PROFIT WASHINGTON
WILD – AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROTECTS
AND RESTORES WILD LANDS AND WATERS
IN WASHINGTON STATE – FOUNDED THE
BREWSHED INITIATIVE, AN APTLY-BRANDED
PROJECT DESIGNED TO PROMOTE WATER
ADVOCACY BY REMINDING FOLKS THAT
‘PROTECTED WATER MAKES SUPERIOR BEER.’
The Brewshed Initiative now includes 25+
breweries and beer community partners who
(together) have managed to raise more than
$25,000 for water conservation.
Solid stuff. A sexy brand. And such a cool
idea to link folks’ passion for great beer with
broader water advocacy issues. Indeed, it
could almost make a person jealous to think
that something this awesome – something
this ‘Guelph-y’ – wasn’t first conceived right
here in the Royal City. Or was it?
Drink beer. Now That’s Sexy.SAVE WATER?
by Chris Tiessen
EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER
8.
10185_CSB_Wooly25thAnnv_3.5x4.75Ad_v1Bol.indd 1 19/05/15 11:58 PM
over a designated period of time are also helping The
Wooly get closer to the reality of a new nature centre.
Concludes Court: ‘For the past quarter century we’ve
been privileged to operate The Wooly here in Guelph.
And so much of this privilege stems from – and relies on
– a fresh local water supply. From the craft beer we sell to
the local food we offer, water is at the core of everything
we do. It just makes sense, then, that we play our part
by ensuring that the Grand River watershed remains
healthy and sustainable. The fact that our customers
can play (at least a bit of ) their part by coming in for a
pint and great local food is a bonus for all of us.’
Now that’s sexy.
This year’s River Fundraiser & Brewer’s Feast –
including the annual canoe prize giveaway – is to be
held on the Monday of these twenty-fifth anniversary
festivities. (See centrepage spread for info.)
Did You Know?
The Wooly has reduced its waste by almost 50% via sorting and menu engineering W�ly
All-St�s
5 yrsPosition: Kitchen ManagerFave Beer: Wooly Harvest AleFave Menu Item: Veggie Blue ‘Shroom Burger
Neil Dub�s Neil Dubois
5 yrs
Position: Kitchen Manager
Fave Beer: Wooly Harvest Ale
Fave Menu Item: Veggie Blue ‘Shroom Burger
The Wooly’s Neil, Marc, Bob & Paul navigate
The Speed bolstered with brew
10.
GEORGE EAGLESON HAS BEEN BREWING
BEER FOR AS LONG AS THE WOOLY HAS
BEEN SERVING IT. Twenty Five Years. A quarter
century. Two and a half decades. An impressive
number any way you dish it out.
And if you’ve happened into The Wooly for
a pint any time over this time period (which
I’m guessing you have, as very few come for
the coffee), there’s a very good chance you’ve
probably relished one of George’s brews – or
at least one he’s influenced in some way or
another. Indeed, George’s CV reads like a who’s
who of Ontario craft (and some not-so-craft)
breweries.
Upper Canada Brewing Co (’91-’98). Sleeman
Brewery (’98). Amsterdam Brewing Co (’98).
Black Oak Brewing Co (’00-’01). Church-
Key Brewing Co (’00-’01). Glenora Springs
Brewing Ltd (’00-’01). Hart Brewery Co (‘02).
Muskoka Brewery (’02-’03). Great Lakes
Brewery (’03). Cool Beer Brewing Co (’03-’06).
And finally F&M Brewery (now StoneHammer
Brewing) (’06-present).
Indeed, George and his fellow brewers at
StoneHammer are even the ones responsible
for The Wooly’s very own house Harvest Ale
and Harvest Lager – two staples at the pub
that have undoubtedly helped contribute to
The Wooly’s ranking as one of the 125 places
in the world to grab a pint before you die.
And while you’re enjoying your pint there’s
also a pretty good chance George is at The
Wooly too – usually holding court in the bar
with a brewer or two talking shop. Especially
if it’s a Friday afternoon nearing the end of the
work day. ‘The Wooly’s a great meeting place
for brewers,’ notes George over (what else) a
pint at The Wooly on a Friday afternoon in
late May. ‘This place has continued to be a
great support for craft brewers – oftentimes
being the first establishment to take chances
on new brews and breweries.’
Adds George: ‘As such, the pub serves as a sort
of classroom for folks in the brewing industry
– where we learn from each other by swapping
stories, generating ideas for new collaboration
brews [including the recent dandelion-infused
brew – with dandelions picked right off The
Wooly’s front lawn – concocted by George,
Wellington Brewery’s Marvin Dyck and Royal
City’s Cam Fryer], and celebrate the successes
in our industry.’
Celebrations that not only include this
weekend’s silver anniversary festivities at The
Wooly but also George’s own birthday party
every year – Georgeapalooza – at which beer
folk from across the country get together to
celebrate this eccentric and loved giant of the
industry.
As George’s longtime brew partner Andrew
Henry (also of StoneHammer) notes of his
great friend: ‘Much like The Wooly, George
has become an icon of the craft beer world.
Indeed, George shares much with my other
‘living room’ – they’re both comfortably worn
in, good for a laugh, and the perfect partner
for a pint on any given Friday afternoon.’
So during these 25th anniversary celebrations,
be sure to raise a glass both to The Wooly and
to George Eagleson – after all, it’s probably
because of them that you’re drinking what
you’re drinking.
by Chris Tiessen
George Eagleson & The Wooly Were Made for Each Other
KINDRED ‘SPIRITS’:
EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER
George; George with Wellington’s Marvin & Royal City’s Cam
collaborating on something new & tasty
1 - 8 0 0 - 2 6 5 - 5 6 6 3 w w w . m o r t o n w h o l e s a l e . c o m
OUR PEOPLE, SERVICE & PRODUCTS Proudly Canadian Owned, Morton Wholesale is a distributor for Foodservice Operators in Southern Ontario.
The Ontario Grassroots Program was established by Morton Wholesale with the main objective of promoting and distributing quality food products from Ontario’s finest producers. We achieve this by supporting Ontario farmers and businesses - both large and small. Our partners share our passion for food and understand the importance of supporting local business and enhancing the economic, environmental, and social practices of food purchasing and consumption. Most importantly, this program seeks to increase the overall awareness and consumption of Ontario food products.
WHAT MAKES MORTON WHOLESALE DIFFERENT?
W�lyAll-St�s
9 yrsPosition: Server – and so much more!Fave Beer: Flying Monkeys Smash BombFave Menu Item: Fish Taco Board
Pamela Dick
Annual River Fundraiser & Brewer’s Feast – 7pmSpecial 4-Course Dinner with Beer Pairingsand Canoe Giveaway $60 a personsponsored by Creemore Springs Brewery
25th Anniversary FestivitiesThe W�ly’s
Friday, June 19
Saturday, June 20
Sunday, June 21
Monday, June 22
Woolystock 2 – 6pm til 11pmMusic: Abby & Harry | The Doletinkerssponsored by StoneHammer Brewing & Wellington Brewery
Kids Extravaganza & BBQ – 10am til 2pmBike Parade to Exhibition Park (sponsored by Steamwhistle)Interactive event with Wild Ontario Birds of Prey
Woolystock 2 – 2pm til 11pmMusic: SPANK | Je� Bird & Mo Kau�ey | The Speakeasies | The Kramdens
Father's Day 'Solstice' Cask Festival – noon til 7pm Music: Kent & Scotty | The Dogs
Featuring 25 BreweriesTwo Sessions: Noon til 2:30pm & 3pm til 5:30pm$25 a person
CASK
FESTIVAL
S�stice
Royal City Brewing CoWellington BreweryStoneHammer BrewingSleeman BreweryBlock Three Brewing CoInnocente Brewing CoMuskoka BreweryMill St BreweryBlack Oak/Cheshire Valley Brewing Co
Great Lakes BreweryAmsterdam Brewing CoIndie Ale HouseRevel CiderWest Ave CiderJunction Craft BreweryNorthwinds BrewhouseCollingwood BreweryBeau’s All Natural Brewing CoFlying Monkeys Craft Brewery
Sunday, June 21
Cask Festival LineupMacLean’s AlesSawdust City Brewing CoNickel Brook BreweryLake of Bays Brewing CoNiagara College Teaching BreweryPommies Cider
Fath�’s Day!
Did You Know?
The Wooly has been ranked #49 of 125 places in the world to have a beer before you die
Annual River Fundraiser & Brewer’s Feast – 7pmSpecial 4-Course Dinner with Beer Pairingsand Canoe Giveaway $60 a personsponsored by Creemore Springs Brewery
25th Anniversary FestivitiesThe W�ly’s
Friday, June 19
Saturday, June 20
Sunday, June 21
Monday, June 22
Woolystock 2 – 6pm til 11pmMusic: Abby & Harry | The Doletinkerssponsored by StoneHammer Brewing & Wellington Brewery
Kids Extravaganza & BBQ – 10am til 2pmBike Parade to Exhibition Park (sponsored by Steamwhistle)Interactive event with Wild Ontario Birds of Prey
Woolystock 2 – 2pm til 11pmMusic: SPANK | Je� Bird & Mo Kau�ey | The Speakeasies | The Kramdens
Father's Day 'Solstice' Cask Festival – noon til 7pm Music: Kent & Scotty | The Dogs
Featuring 25 BreweriesTwo Sessions: Noon til 2:30pm & 3pm til 5:30pm$25 a person
CASK
FESTIVAL
S�stice
Royal City Brewing CoWellington BreweryStoneHammer BrewingSleeman BreweryBlock Three Brewing CoInnocente Brewing CoMuskoka BreweryMill St BreweryBlack Oak/Cheshire Valley Brewing Co
Great Lakes BreweryAmsterdam Brewing CoIndie Ale HouseRevel CiderWest Ave CiderJunction Craft BreweryNorthwinds BrewhouseCollingwood BreweryBeau’s All Natural Brewing CoFlying Monkeys Craft Brewery
Sunday, June 21
Cask Festival LineupMacLean’s AlesSawdust City Brewing CoNickel Brook BreweryLake of Bays Brewing CoNiagara College Teaching BreweryPommies Cider
Fath�’s Day!
THE SIMPLEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THE
WOOLY WOULD BE TO LABEL IT A ‘PUB.’
And the most straightforward way to describe
The Wooly’s Bob Desautels would be to call
him a ‘publican.’ And yet neither one of these
descriptions captures the essence of these two
great local institutions.
Let’s begin with The Wooly. As I get older,
I don’t go out as much as I used to. Like
most people who’ve journeyed outside
their twenties, newfound responsibilities –
including family, early bedtimes, and even
earlier mornings – have come to occupy my
time. And that’s okay.
When I am able to ‘go out’, however, I’m
careful to make sure it’s worth it. And so I
almost always choose The Wooly. (True – I
conveniently live around the corner, but The
Wooly’s my ‘local’ for reasons far beyond mere
convenience.)
For a quarter century now, The Wooly has
remained a friendly place with amazing
staff and fantastic food – a place that puts
small brewers, adventurous beers and
locally-sourced ingredients front and centre.
And a place whose eco-consciousness and
local-centric mandate convinces me that by
simply stepping out at the place for a pint I’m
somehow doing my part as a steward of the
world. Almost by osmosis.
Because here’s the thing: ‘locally-sourced’ has
been The Wooly’s mantra for decades. Indeed,
long before most people started caring about
where their food came from, or whether
their beer was ‘craft’, The Wooly was there –
keeping it local – from the beginning.
Could it be, then, that the broader recent
drive toward ‘fresh’ and ‘craft’ and ‘local-centric’
means that the world may finally be catching
up with The Wooly? That’d surely be a good
thing.
The Wooly is a trailblazer, no doubt. And what,
then, of its proprietor – Bob Desautels?
For The Kramdens, Bob has been nothing
short of a champion whose love for
homegrown definitely translates to support
for us. (And while Bob is undoubtedly the band’s
champion, The Wooly is more like a sibling.
A fraternal twin, in fact, as The Kramdens
and The Wooly are both celebrating silver
anniversaries this year.)
Over this past quarter century, there is no
shortage of good memories that our band has
of Bob. When The Kramdens marked our 15th
anniversary with a show at River Run Centre,
for instance, Bob was kind enough to host our
after-party at The Wooly. He graciously – so
graciously! – supplied food for all the guests. A
lot of guests. I can still picture Bob that night
– smiling and making sure it all went smoothly.
Five years later, we were beyond honoured
when Bob asked us to play The Wooly’s
twentieth anniversary party – just as we are
humbled and thrilled to be back for this year’s
twenty-fifth anniversary festivities. And it’s
not just The Kramdens that have such close
ties to Bob. His support of local music across
genres helps keep our community’s local
music and arts scene alive.
To be sure, Bob Desautels and The Wooly are
inextricably linked to each other. And they’re
also inextricably linked to the broader Guelph
‘neighbourhood’ – and an integral part of what
makes Guelph great. The man, the bricks, and
the mortar have together helped build and
shape this community. And they continue to
do so.
Congratulations, Bob. Here’s to many, many
more.
The Kramdens’ Craig Norris
w/ Steve Knox, Robert Leader, Michael Plater-Findlay & Michael Ostler
Celebrating Silver Anniversaries – TogetherTHE WOOLY & THE KRAMDENS:
EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER
14.
The Kramdens rehearse somewhere cozy in Guelph
visitguelphwellington.ca
@visitguelph /visitgw
YOUR GUIDE TO GUELPH
WINGS • FRIENDS •
LO
CAL
MUSIC • BEER
A CITY TO REMEMBER
Congratulations to the Wooly for 25 amazing years serving Guelph’s locals and visitors.
W�lyAll-St�s
16 yrsPosition: Key HolderFave Beer: StoneHammer DarkFave Menu Item: YU Ranch Beef Blue ‘Shroom Burger
M�c Bosb�m
THE WOOLY’S COURT DESAUTELS HAS
REMARKED THAT TO LEARN ABOUT
THE PUB ONE MUST FIRST LEARN ABOUT ITS
SUPPLIERS. As Court notes: ‘There’s really no
better way to understand The Wooly’s core
values of sustainability, eco-consciousness and
pride in local than by seeing how deeply these
values are embedded in the businesses with
which we partner every day.’
He continues: ‘And Bryan Gilvesy’s YU Ranch
– which supplies The Wooly with award-
winning 100% grass-fed Texas Longhorn
beef – is a perfect example of this. On the
surface, Bryan manages a beef farm. But dig
a little deeper and you’ll see that YU is much
more than this. A sanctuary for rare birds
and endangered pollinators. A sacred space
for threatened species of trees. A happy
ecosystem that balances healthy wetland,
forest and grassland habitats. A classroom.’
Indeed, Bryan’s sustainability efforts (including
a solar-powered irrigation system for his cattle
and a one-of-a-kind delivery van whose freezer
is also powered by the sun) have not gone
unnoticed. The 2014 Environmental Award
from the Tillsonburg Chamber of Commerce.
The 2013 Premier’s Leadership Award for
Agricultural Innovation. The 2013 Canadian
Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Award. The
2012 Environment Minister’s Award
for Environmental Excellence. The 2008
Canadian Agri-Food Award of Excellence
for Stewardship. The 2007 Premier’s Award
for Agricultural Innovation. And the list goes
on. And on. And on!
‘And of course there’s the beef, too,’ Court
reminds me. Ah yes, the beef. 2009
International Texas Longhorn Breeder of the
Year beef. Beef that (almost) seems to come as
an afterthought for rancher Bryan who insists
that the success of his business has much
more to do with his passion for cultivating
a harmonious ecosystem than with any
deliberate attempt to grow a profitable herd.
‘I consider myself a grass farmer more than I
do a cattle rancher,’ observes Bryan during a
recent trip to the ranch with Court. ‘In my mind,
if I’m able to care for the land effectively and
sustainably, the cattle will work themselves
out.’
In other words, Bryan’s successful cattle
business is as much the serendipidous
outcome of his passion for environmental
stewardship as anything else. And, truth be
told, the same could be said of The Wooly. For
while most patrons of this pub frequent The
Wooly for obvious reasons – great food, great
drink, great staff, great atmosphere – the
business is rooted solidly in weightier stuff.
The locally-sourced food and drink. The tens of
thousands of dollars raised for the Grand River
Conservation Foundation over the years.
A Partnership Rooted in SustainabilityTHE WOOLY & YU RANCH:
EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER
The Bullfrog Power and solar-powered hot water system.
The Steamwhistle bike servicing station located right
outside the front door. The staff competitions to reduce
waste and save energy. The decision to make mashed
potatoes with the skins in because they account for 30%
of a potato’s weight – that’s a lot of potential waste! The
incredibly deliberate and painstaking waste reduction
initiative that saw each customer’s food waste reduced
from 1.3 to .7 pounds. The deliberate decision to avoid
including straws with drinks because they’re wasteful
– and the even more deliberate decision to invest in
biodegradable straws (at three times the cost of regular
ones) in the rare event that a customer asks for one. And
this is just a taste.
As Bryan concludes: ‘Our lasting partnership with The
Wooly continues to be so fulfilling because its rooted in
our shared commitments to the environment and to the
futures of our children’s children. Bob, Court and The
Wooly gang have never let these commitments waver.
Indeed, it can reasonably be noted that The Wooly
exists as a vehicle to save the planet.’
Indeed. And the rest is but a fortuitous consequence.
Versions of this article have appeared in the Winter 2015
issue of col.lab.o.rate and Spring 2015 issue of Moving
Business Forward – both quarterly publications of the
Guelph Chamber of Commerce.
Grass Fed Texas Longhorn Beef.From Our Ranch To Your Table. Here’s To Another 25 Years.
Cheers.yuranch.com
W�lyAll-St�s
22 yrsPosition: Group CommunicationsFave Beer: Wooly Harvest AleFave Menu Item: Sea Salt & Pepper Wings
L�ise McMullen
A day at the ranch – or Heaven
FOR MOST FOLKS, THE WOOLY IS A
PLACE WHERE DREAMS (AND REALITIES)
OF FITNESS COME TO DIE. Where exercise is
confined to whatever game happens to be
showing on the pub’s two screens. And where
breaking a sweat is limited to full-house Friday
nights when The Wooly invariably packs so full
with friends, strangers, laughter and good cheer
that no one seems to mind either the rising
temperature in the dining room or the fact that
the wait for a table is usually longer than the
time finally spent relaxing in a seat.
For most folks. But not all.
For some of us, Thursday evenings at The
Wooly has become a sort of sacrosanct ritual
where we readily trade our button-ups and
button-downs for skin-tight shorts, comfy
chamois, and the official yellow jersey of –
you guessed it – The Beer Delivery Guys/
Gals Cycling Club (or BDGCC).
The BDGCC was formed in 2009 by three guys
who had two things in common – cycling
and beer delivery. Matt Arnold was working
for F&M Brewery (now StoneHammer
Brewing) at the time, delivering beer to their
customers. I was working at The Wooly as a
server, delivering beer to its patrons. And
Nathan Poulton was working in the kitchen
at The Wooly, delivering beer to the sewage
system via his liver. We all had road bikes and
a penchant to enjoy good, local craft beer so
we created the BDGCC as an excuse to ride
together every Thursday and return to The
Wooly for after-ride pints.
While the BDGCC has gone through several
iterations over the years, it’s continued to
grow in numbers. This year’s club boasts 38
members and several key local sponsors –
including Royal City Brewing Co, Wellington
Brewery, StoneHammer Brewery, Speed
River Cycles, AET, Planet Bean and of
course The Wooly. We continue to meet
every Thursday at the pub for a ride and a
pint, with between 12-15 riders consistently
participating each week on rides that are
generally 40-50km and mercifully divided
into two groups: those comfortably pedaling
at a 25-28km/hr average pace and those
ferociously mashing the pedals at a 28-31km/
hr average pace.
The club is always welcoming new riders.
Indeed, if you own a road bike and helmet and
enjoy good company, great beer and getting
out for a brisk ride, feel free to come out and
join in. The pack rolls out from The Wooly
parking lot at 6:30pm every Thursday from
April until November.
As the jersey says: Meet You At The Wooly!
Cheers, Taylor Moran, BDGCC
EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER
20.
Did You Know?
Bob from The Wooly was a pro golfer and played on the Canadian & Australian PGA Tour
The Wooly:Guelph’s Favourite Biker Bar
localfoodfest
localguelph wellington
www.tastereal.ca
June 2111:00am - 5:00pm
ADMISSION:
$2.50 per person $5 per family
foodfest
6
Ignatius Jesuit Centre and Farm, Guelph/Eramosa
Thank you to the Wooly for 25 years of championing LOCAL in our community!
BIKE TO THE FESTIVAL!
W�lyAll-St�s
17 yrsPosition: Line CookFave Beer: Mill St OrganicFave Menu Item: Steak and Mushroom Pie
Stu Nash
June 2015
Distance
45.04kilometers
Start Elevation
332meters
Max Elevation
372meters
Gain
242meters
RewardGood FriendsCold Pints
GUELPH
Eliza
beth
St. Yo
rk R
D.
Watson Rd. S.
First Line Nassagaweye
Nassagaweye-Puslinch Townline
ARKELL
Elevation (m)396
363
330
297 0 9.01 18.02 27.03 36.03 45.04
*cited from Map My Ride
THE WOOLY IS RENOWNED FOR A NUMBER
OF THINGS. Obvious and not-so-obvious
craft beer selections (cheese beer, anyone?).
Consistently great live music. An incredible
front porch and energizing rear patio. Friendly
strangers and stranger friends. And a go-to menu
that includes the fattest tastiest wings, mouth-
watering fish & chips, and satisfying charcuterie
boards.
And while it’s never that difficult for Wooly
patrons to identify where their beer comes
from, or who’s singing on a Saturday night,
or the folks seated around them, fewer know
where most of The Wooly’s food is sourced
and how it gets to the pub.
Jean Beauchemin, Director of Sales at Morton
Wholesale Ltd, is more than happy to share:
‘We’re The Wooly’s wholesaler of choice,’ notes
Jean matter-of-factly over lunch at (where
else) The Wooly. ‘From the wings raised
right down the road in Milton to most of The
Wooly’s Ontario-sourced meats to its produce
to the fresh perch and pickerel that our trucks
pick up at the shore of Lake Erie and deliver to
the pub that same day to the serviettes to the
chemicals and cleaning supplies sourced from
a local family-owned business based in Fergus
– we ensure that The Wooly remains stocked
with local and sustainable goods and produce.’
How? Because Morton’s is stocked with
local and sustainable goods and produce.
As Jean continues: ‘Our Ontario Grass
Roots Program ensures that we promote
and distribute quality food products from
Ontario’s finest producers thus supporting
not only phenomenal establishments like The
Wooly but also all players in the farm-to-fork
process – from feed/ingredient suppliers to
farmers to processing facilities to packaging
to distribution.’
The Wooly’s Court Desautels can’t say enough
good things about the wholesaler, noting: ‘We
consider Jean and his Morton crew to be part
of The Wooly family. They continually go the
distance for us – from the (literally) thousands
of local products they’ve got listed to the most
obscure meats and cheeses they’ll eagerly
source for us to their incredible sustained
commitment to environment and community.’
A commitment that has for a few years now
translated into Morton’s donating all of the
key ingredients for The Wooly’s annual River
Fundraiser & Brewer’s Feast so that 100% of
the dinner’s proceeds can go towards GRCF
projects.
Muses Jean as our lunch nears its end: ‘For me,
The Wooly is an extremely special account
– and one that I’ll never take for granted.’ He
continues: ‘I began coming here years ago
as a patron while attending the University
of Guelph, and decided to move to Guelph
permanently after university in large part
because of local spots like The Wooly. Indeed,
it’s places like The Wooly that define this
community. And I’m proud to be part of it.’
Adds Court: ‘And we’re proud to have you,
buddy.’
EARTH/WIND/FIRE/WATER
Morton Wholesale Ltd: Like A Member of the Family
by Chris Tiessenby Chris TiessenMorton’s Jean Beauchemin eating out at home
The Neighbourhood Group
Still not convinced?
It’s all in �e details
BY NEIGHBOURS, for NEIGHBOURS
Solar panels
great restaurants. 3 locations
Borealis Kitchener is in an old schoolhouse!
Staff shirts are organic cotton and Toronto made at me to we where a tree is planted for every shirt bought.
refreshing flavour and available locally year-round we reduce the amount of lemons and limes (and miles travelled!)
OUR NAPKINs are 100% recycled and biodegradeable!(unlike some that are actually dyed brown to appear recycLed!)
over 2000 trees planted to date!
Cleaner planet
ALL OUR FRYER OIL IS collected and converted to bio-diesel!
we’ve done numerous studies to reduce energy & kitchen waste. Our vegetable peels even go to a local pig farmer now!
Since 1990 we've been raising money to protect our local waterways. To date we've raised over $100,000 for various conservation organizations.
CARs RUNning ON FRYER OIL?
WASTE REDUCTION PROTECTINGOUR WATERWAYS
ton
2
Did you know, TABLES in BOREALis Guelph are made from an old Walnut tree that fell infront of the wooly!
CUCUMBERS IN WATER?
100% recycled
Where it all comes �om...LOCAL TASTESWAY BETTER!
FIELD TRIPSIt's important for us to know where our food comes from
OUR SUPPLIERS
Over 80% Locally Sourced Foods & Beverages
Green Leadership Award for Canada We are members of Ocean Wise and
the first restaurant in the World to have our fish DNA-Certified!
Sustainable Fish
from Foodservice and Hospitality Magazine
borealisgrille.ca woolwicharrow.ca
Obsessively Local
We call it the “curse of knowing better”. You’ll discover it when you hoist a glass of locally made Wellington Special Pale Ale where gut-bloating carbonation doesn’t need to be added to make it last longer like big brewery beers. You’ll taste it when you tuck into a burger made with local, grass fed long-horn cattle, the only cattle indigenous to North America. Taste local and everything else pales by comparison.
So, be warned. Come to Borealis but be prepared to change your view of everything.
Guelph & Kitchener | BorealisGrille.ca
Yeah we haveimported beer.
it comes all the waY from
the other side of town.