Bringing a taste of Britain to the West Island:Bramble House gives Brits a taste of the old country

BY HOLLIE WATSON



Tucked away on the western fringe of Valois is an anomaly, a rare jewel not to be found anywhere else in la belle province.

Since it opened five years ago, Bramble House has become the epitome of all things British, and crossing the threshold is like stepping into a shoppe on Picadilly Circus.

From Coronation Street and Manchester United memorabilia to Edinburgh oatcakes and ‘crisps’ (potato chips), “the underlying theme of everything is British,” said Diane Hodges, who co-owns the family business along with mother Brenda and sister Karen Bright (there are now three generations on board).

“The majority of our customers are expats,” she said, adding, “some come from as far away as Ottawa. We have a lot of regulars.”

It might seem surprising that Bramble House is a thriving concern, given the influx of other cultural communities to the West Island in recent years, and a general perception of a dwindling anglophone base.

But business is brisk, Hodges said.

Valois alone “has a huge English-speaking population. As well, there are several local companies which are recruiting, and there are a lot of people coming in from the U.K.”

The diminutive corner shop is housed in what was once the village’s first apothecary, built in the early 1900s.

“W initially began as a small mail order business, but when my sister and I learned this space was for rent, we thought, ‘why don’t we open a store here?’” said the born-and-raised West Islander.

“We started with teas, then biscuits, and then the requests started coming in – that’s how we built our inventory.”

Gourmet products and food imported from abroad now account for two-thirds of what Bramble House sells, and they carry everything from petticoat tails (Scottish shortbread) to pickled onions to damson plum jam.

“With the food, it’s a nostalgia factor,” Hodges said.

England is well-known for the quality of its chocolate, and it’s one of the best-selling items, as is Marmite, a protein spread that originated in wartime. Also popular are the wide variety of chutneys and spices for curries, for which the English have had a penchant since their colonial days in India.

In a freezer case in the ‘Brit Room,’ customers will find such culinary favourites as steak and kidney pie, cock-a-leekie and mulligatawny soups and other home-made dishes which Hodges restocks on a weekly basis.

“And we’re expanding all the time,” she said.

Maison Bramble House is located at 19 Valois Bay Ave. For more information call 514-630-6363, or visit their web site at: www.bramblehouse.net.