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Surrey Archives digs in to the history of food in Surrey

Join Archives staff for a lecture on all things food at the Cloverdale Library this Saturday.
8271017_web1_170828-CLR-M-Tara-Supper-Club-1957
Tara Supper Club. (Courtesy of City of Surrey Archives)

Next on the menu for the Surrey Archives is a presentation on the history of food in Surrey.

On Saturday, Sept. 9, from 1:30 – 3 p.m. at the Cloverdale Library, archives staff will be hosting a free program that will feature the diets and recipes of First Nations and newcomers, and showcase newsprint stories and advertisements from the late 1800s onward.

The program will then “fast forward” to the 1950s and the introduction of electric appliances, and attendees will learn about a few of Surrey’s hottest dining spots along the way.

The Tara Supper Club, for instance, which was located at King George Highway and Crescent Road, was one of the places to be in the 1950s. The club was opened in 1946 by a returning member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Pete Simpson, and his wife Myrtle.

Their philosophy? Everybody could use a little more fun in their lives.

The Tara Supper Club hosted diners and dancers from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m., with comedy and variety acts, and live music. The restaurant was the home of countless memories for patrons until the late 1960s, when it was sold and renamed.

“So many of our recollections relate to food, whether it be family recipes or a restaurant we frequented in our youth,” said Archivist Chelsea Bailey. “I’m looking forward to the tasty discussion this program generates with the group.”

Pre-register for the program at 604-502-6459, or find out more at www.surrey.ca/heritage.