When the building in the centre of my village of Knowlton (Lac Brome) Quebec that houses Brome Lake Books came up for sale, Danny and Lucy, the owners of the great independent bookstore and I talked. I wish I could say I did a full business plan, a deep dive into viability, a thoughtful evaluation…oh f**k it. I spoke to my assistant and great friend Lise…and with her encouragement I bought the place. The entire three stories of the beautiful building by the river was now mine. I could not take the chance that any other owner might get rid of the bookstore. That’s as far as my planning went. But then I actually toured the place and realized the floor below the bookstore, used as an office, was about to be empty. It was full height. A walkout to the parking and river. It was accessible. And it was dreary. Pretty grim.
But then I thought….hmmmm. The bistro in the Three Pines books is attached to the bookstore. It is a perfect combination, one many great bookshops and cafe’s around the world share. Books. Easy chairs. Coffee. Tea. Croissants…
I spoke to Danny and Lucy who were very open to putting in a staircase. Then I went to my great friends, Normand and Peter, who run the most wonderful bistro in the village, Buzz, and asked for their advice.
God bless them, they were immediately supportive. They wrote out a list of equipment, of permits, of details only another cafe owner would know. Tips. Advice. They have been by my side every step. They were the midwives to the cafe!
Then came my close friend Kirk, who is also a designer. We talked and laughed and dreamed and sketched. He knows the books intimately and understood my vision.
To recreate the bistro from the books. A place that feels more like the living room/library in a country house than a place of business.
And so the design work began.
Like in the books, there would be fieldstone fireplaces on either side of the room. Comfortable sofas and large, inviting, armchairs on either side of each fireplace. There’d be couches and one long table for those who needed to work. There’d be old wooden beams and a tin ceiling. And windows. Light. It would be a place where people could come and exhale. Spend the day if they like. Where people who work from home could come and not be alone.
And then….the menu. What to serve?
Once again we turned to the books for inspiration. Croissants. Pain au chocolate. Butter tarts. Lemon meringue tarts. Various squares. And perhaps, one day, a ham and cheese croissant sandwich. Perhaps, one day, afternoon tea. There’d be lactose and gluten free offerings. There’d be cappuccino, cafe au lait, espresso. Hot chocolate. Chai latte. Teas. The options seemed endless. And such fun.
And that’s where the next pillar of the cafe comes in.
Tara and Matthew, who own and run Virgin Hill Coffee, joined the effort. My assistants Lise and Isabelle and I went to their amazing restaurant/cafe and did some tastings, thanks to Thom, their chief barista. Slowly a blend emerged. A special, and unique, Three Pines Blend. And then Lise, who is a tea drinker, suggested a Reine-Marie blend of tea. Back we went to the wonderful Virgin Hill location and tasted what Thom, Tara and Matthew came up with. Again, it is unique to our cafe.
Tara and Matthew have been heroes. Like Buzz, they didn’t see the cafe as competition, but as a compliment to our beautiful village. To the area.
Then we needed plates. Something special. We approached the local artisans at Atelier Trema and they came up with wonderful designs and have been a complete joy to work with! Each plate has one of four saying from the books, and the logo. Trema has been….wait for it…tremendous. We also have amazing pieces from famed local potter, Robin Badger. She is a longtime friend and remarkable artist.
When things were looking like the cafe really was going to happen, I went and spoke with the owners of the other bistros….Caron and Raffield’s, to make sure they understood that my desire was to collaborate and not compete. To let people who come in know they can get great meals at Buzz. At Caron. At Raffields. Down the road at Virgin Hill.
This is truly a community. Stronger together. And certainly more fun!
Construction began with Victor’s amazing team of workers. I interviewed a number of people for manager and then Bryan appeared, fully formed. He is now the manager and doing a remarkable job. As is Ariane, a local chef who has stepped back from that role and is acting as a consultant, choosing local bakers and producers to supply the goodies inspired by the food Armand and Reine-Marie, Ruth and Clara, and Myrna enjoy in the books. All with the help of Normand and Peter at Buzz.
Meanwhile, Danny and Lucy upstairs in the bookstore, have had months of noise, disruption, dust! But we are there now…
What began as a basic office, bare walls, fluorescent lights, and hidden potential, has been transformed into our vibrant new café.
Step by step, demolition turned into design, and raw materials into meaningful spaces. It’s been a journey of creativity, character, and yes plenty of coffee.
The final photos are still to come, but each stage has its own story.
To be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into. But oh, am I ever happy I took the leap, and deeply grateful to those who have supported this dream.
I hope you can visit in person. Grab a cafe au lait, a pastry, a comfy chair, and read in front of the fireplace, in a place where goodness exists.
Photography credit Ben Mcauley
