Ottawa catering company sweetens the deal with purchase of farm property near Chelsea

A local catering company is making its offerings that much sweeter, after its owner acquired an agricultural property with plans to host “high-end sugar shack dinners,” among other events. In December 2023, Derick Cotname, owner of Ottawa's My Catering Group, acquired a 22-acre property in Quebec between Chelsea and Wakefield with plans to turn it into a farm-to-table event space and offer a unique culinary experience.  “The catering operation has been in business for over 10 years and I always thought it would be a good investment to look at a wedding venue,” Cotnam told OBJ Wednesday. “I’d looked at a few earlier and the stars did not align. Then when this came up early last summer, I thought it was the perfect spot.” Cotnam said Le Vignoble de Chelsea is full of potential, not just as an interesting and picturesque venue, but as a way to make his catering company even more local.  Zoned for farming, the property already housed a vineyard and sugar shack. While four or five years of work is needed before grapes can be harvested, Cotnam said there are 2,500 vines planted on site that would allow the company to produce its own wine.  The sugar bush, meanwhile, is operational, with more than 600 tapped trees producing maple syrup. The company has also partnered with local beekeeping company Apiverte to begin producing honey on site.  Cotnam said there’s room to expand even more, with plans to grow produce. He’s also exploring the potential for a small-scale apple orchard to produce cider.  While the operation isn’t big enough to sell yields at a retail level, it does allow the catering company to up its game.  “All of the syrup we produce is going to be used in all our catering operations,” he said. “Any vinaigrette we make, whether it’s served in a salad you buy at the Museum of Nature or at a gala at the Museum of History … we’re going to be able to tell the story that it’s all from our sugar bush. Same with the honey. It’s quite, quite unique.” Cotnam added that the venue itself is meant to provide guests with a culinary experience they can’t find elsewhere.  Since it opened, the venue has hosted several events, but Cotnam said its staple is its sugar shack brunch, an offering that will be expanded to include a dinner option later this year.  “We’re not trying to be the generic sugar shack,” he said. “We want something that is attracting a clientele that’s happy to spend a little more to have an elevated experience,” he said. “We’re going to introduce a high-end sugar shack dinner with interesting dishes that have a bit of that Quebec flair.” He said he plans to do more corporate events in this style next year.  While the venue is already hosting events, there’s still plenty of work to be done, according to Cotnam.  On Tuesday, the company reached its goal of raising $20,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to cover the cost of replacing the sugar shack’s equipment.  The campaign was run through the Quebec government’s crowdfunding platform La Ruche, which helps stimulate the growth of businesses and connect them with funding opportunities. Every dollar raised by the end of the September will be matched by the organization, doubling whatever the company brings in on its own.  “We reached out with this project of revitalizing the sugar bush and they thought it was a good idea,” said Cotnam. “The crowdfunding component is kind of demonstrating that there’s a market for this and people support it.” The company is hosting a party on site this Sunday for its top donors, featuring food and beverages, as well as entertainment, from local partners.  He added, “It’s a big milestone … Now that we have this wonderful venue 20 minutes from (downtown Ottawa), we’re going to be able to host all kinds of unique events out here and really build a successful business that our company owns. There’s a lot of opportunity for all sorts of interesting ventures down the road revolving around culinary experiences, hospitality and agriculture tourism.”