Westman eateries join Stone Soup cause

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This article was published 18/03/2025 (373 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Five Westman restaurants are preparing soup creations to raise funds for school meal programs as the 2025 edition of the Stone Soup campaign kicked off Monday.

This year’s event, running from March 17-23, will see the restaurants donating $1 from each bowl of soup sold to the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba, an organization dedicated to supporting meal and snack programs in schools.

The five restaurants are The Dock on Princess (1133 Princess Ave., Brandon), The Eagles Nest Bar and Grill (3500 McDonald Ave., Brandon), Lady of the Lake (135 17th St. North, Brandon), Maple Bug Café (507 Burrows Rd., McCreary), and Russell Inn Family Restaurant (1 Highway 16, Russell).

The Dock on Princess is set to host existing and new patrons this year, manager Erin Wells told the Sun on Monday.

“We are doing our chicken tortilla soup,” she said in an interview. “It’s a blend of fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, guajillo and ancho chiles with chicken and tortillas.”

The soup was prepared by the restaurant’s junior sous chef, Cynthia Fuentes.

Wells said many people had already “come in and asked about it,” expressing optimism about its success.

The restaurant has been participating in the Stone Soup campaign for “three or four years,” Wells said, adding the first year was particularly strong.

“I was impressed with their marketing and the number of people that came in asking about it,” she said. “The organizers are doing a good job with their campaign, like they get the word out about it, and people will be calling us, asking about it and asking what soup we have on, and that makes it so easy for us.”

Stone Soup plays a critical role in ensuring students are well-nourished and ready to learn, which is the reason Russell Inn is participating for the second year, executive chef and food and beverage manager Wes Osborne said.

“If kids aren’t eating or don’t have full bellies, they’re not going to learn very well,” he said. “I requested from the management that funds raised through Russell Inn’s Stone Soup initiative be directed specifically to their local school rather than the general provincial pool, and it was granted.”

For this year’s event, the inn is serving beef and barley soup, a dish chosen to reflect the region’s agricultural heritage.

“Where we are in Russell, Man., is the heart of beef and barley. Our town festival around Thanksgiving is called Beef and Barley Days, so it made sense to prepare a hearty bowl of beef and barley soup, made from scratch,” Osborne told the Sun.

The soup features a rich beef stock, sautéed mirepoix (a combination of celery, onions and carrots), diced beef, barley and seasonings such as salt, pepper and thyme.

Soup sales began Monday, with expectations of strong community support.

“This is the first day we’re offering it, and we’ve advertised on social media. I’m hoping we can reach 100 sales throughout the week,” Osborne said. “It will be available throughout the day, from our 11 a.m. lunch service until we close at 10 p.m.”

Osborne described the Stone Soup organizers as “very good to work with,” noting there were no major challenges in preparing for the event.

“They reached out in mid-February, and I responded that we were interested. They sent us posters, table cards and added us to their website. You can even vote for participating restaurants online,” he said.

He underscored the importance of initiatives like Stone Soup in addressing food insecurity among students.

“Some families simply can’t afford to provide breakfast, and this is one way to help,” Osborne said. “It’s very important that we support our young kids.”

Beyond Stone Soup, Russell Inn has been actively contributing to student nutrition. Osborne explained the business donates four dozen muffins each week to schools in the community, a commitment now in its third year.

“We recognize the importance of school food programs, and I lobbied my owner to support this cause. He agreed, and we have been doing it ever since,” Osborne said.

The Eagles Nest Bar & Grill is making its Stone Soup debut.

General manager Justin Black told the Sun the company decided to join after being contacted by the organizers.

“We have our potato bacon soup, made with bacon, potatoes, cream and chicken stock,” he said. “Hopefully, it brings about 50-60 people in, and we can donate to a good cause.”

Stone Soup, inspired by the classic folktale, has grown significantly since its inception.

This year, the event features more than 50 participating restaurants — an increase from around 40 in previous years, CNCM registered dietitian Alyssa Lewis told the Sun.

According to Lewis, the program has had a significant impact on school nutrition efforts.

“We currently support the majority of schools in Brandon and over 400 schools across Manitoba,” she said. “Our dietitians provide support through one-on-one school visits, nutrition education and professional development.”

Despite its success, schools continue to face challenges.

“The top challenges that schools face in effectively implementing their school meal programs can include staffing, infrastructure and rising cost of food,” Lewis said.

CNCM started in Manitoba in 2001 by supporting 10 school meal and snack programs. Fast forward to 2025, Lewis explained it is now supporting more than 400 programs in every region of Manitoba.

“We work with the Province of Manitoba and many community donors and supporters to provide grants and nutrition support to ensure school programs have what they need to support students,” Lewis added. “Every dollar raised stays in Manitoba to support Manitoba students. We are always exploring ways to raise funds and support for programs.”

In addition to soup sales, Stone Soup 2025 includes a raffle, featuring gift cards donated by participating restaurants. The final raffle draw is set for Friday at noon.

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