Powell River’s Townsite Brewing was celebrated at a national award ceremony this week in Vancouver. Les Lauriers de la PME, hosted by Economic Development and Employability Network (RDÉE Canada), recognized Townsite as Top Processing Business at the event on September 8.
“It is an award recognizing entrepreneurial excellence for small and medium-sized Francophone and Acadian businesses across Canada,” said Townsite Brewing co-owner and director of sales Michelle Zutz. “There were over 200 companies nominated from across Canada and we were the only one in BC.”
The brewery takes great pride in its French speaking heritage said Zutz.
“Asubstantial number of our staff, as well as the majority of our partnerships at Townsite Brewing, are French speaking,” she added.
This includes brewing engineer Cédric Dauchot, who is originally from Belgium. The award is also special because it highlights the business, rather than the beer, said Zutz.
“It’s really an honour to be recognized for something in addition to the product we’re selling,” she added. “We’ve won substantial awards in the beer industry across Canada, but this particular award is not based on the product but that we create a product from raw materials that have a key role in the Canadian economy.”
Receiving national accolades for their local business also makes this recognition extra special, added Zutz.
“Itty bitty little Townsite Brewing on the tip of the Sunshine Coast,” she said, “is doing some really amazing things.”
