POP UP EVENT - A FROZEN Tea Party!  

We are excited to announce that we are adding to our series of Willowdale Signature Events with our first pop-up event for 2015: A FROZEN Tea Party! We know it's been a long snowy winter here in the North Shore, but with the recent popularity of Disney's "FROZEN" movie, we were inspired to host an event to celebrate the end of winter AND give our community a chance to get out of the house for a fun afternoon of tea and sandwiches! This event will feature a story time and sing-a-long with a very special character from the film, and will be followed by a lovely tea and luncheon for all attendees. So if there is a little FROZEN fan in your life, check out the details and get tickets on our event page here: http://bit.ly/WillowdaleFROZEN

SUNDAY, April 12th from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Get Tickets 

MEET THE TEAM -  Suzanne Hilyard, Sous Chef

At Willowdale Estate, food is our passion. We pride ourselves on restaurant-style catering and perfectly curated meals for every event, which is why it's always so wonderful to feature a member of our full-time Catering Team, at the helm of executing such wonderful food. With almost 20 years of experience in the culinary industry and training from the New England Culinary Institute, Suzanne Hilyard brings a love and talent for cooking that is evident in everything she produces.

In the 2 ½ years she's worked here at Willowdale Estate, Suzanne says that what she loves most about her job is the freedom to create, and the quality of the products she's able to work with day-in and day-out. She also finds it incredibly rewarding to come across people who have attended a past event at Willowdale, and to hear their praise and anecdotal stories about their experiences here. "From a nurse at Mass General to people in my pottery class, it's everywhere I go!" says Suzanne. "Their feedback really makes me feel confident about the work we do here".

Outside of the time she spends here at Willowdale, one of Suzanne's favorite pastimes is fly-fishing!  In the spring and summer, she and her family love to spend time in the rivers of Maine and Canada. This also happens to be her favorite season to cook, when the produce in this area is so abundant. "Nothing beats that first time every summer when someone brings over a striper and you decide to grill everything in your fridge! Veggies from Alprilla Farm in Essex and fresh peaches from Marini Farm in Ipswich - it's a feast of all local food and I just love it."

To get your own taste of what Suzanne and the rest of the Willowdale Kitchens team creates in the coming months, don't forget to check out our website for upcoming food-inspired events here: http://willowdaleestate.com/signature-events/   

Feature contributed by Kaitlin Umbro, Wedding Sales Manager  

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 

Despite the record amounts of snow in Massachusetts this winter that has brought new definition to the term "hibernation", the Willowdale team has been very busy over the past few months with events taking place here at the Estate, as well as wonderful new opportunities to further our involvement in the Northshore community.

On Monday, February 23rd, one of our Wedding Sales Managers (Kaitlin Umbro) and our Planning and Production Manager (Monique Jeffrey) attended a Northshore hospitality vendor show at Endicott College. Along with a number of other North
 Shore businesses, Willowdale had the opportunity to personally engage with Endicott students focused on our industry and discuss the nuances of our business. The event also provided students with an opportunity to talk to vendors in the events industry on a one-on-one basis about internships, which is a vital part of the Endicott curriculum. We were thrilled to have been asked to be a part of this valuable event. 

Set against a backdrop of fresh snowfall, we also welcomed recently engaged couples to our elegant Wedding Open House last month! Attendees enjoyed delicious food, cocktails and Willowdale baked goods, while having the opportunity to speak with member of our Sales Team and find out more about hosting their dream wedding at Willowdale Estate. If you happened to miss this event, stay tuned for our next Wedding Open House taking place in May!

So what's coming up next for the Willowdale Estate team in the month of March? Well, we're very excited to announce our participation in this year's 2015 North Shore Business Expo, hosted by the Northshore Chamber of Commerce. On Thursday, March 12th, I will be joined by our Executive Chef (Ben Lightbody) and Senior Sales and Marketing Manager (Sarah Boucher) to introduce all that Willowdale has to offer to the North Shore Business community. With a social and corporate events package that has been enhanced considerably over the last year, Willowdale Estate is now the perfect setting for corporate and social meetings, luncheons, summer outings, holiday celebrations, and much more! We are thrilled to be part of a very talented group of North Shore businesses presenting at  this expo, and can't wait to spread the word about our hidden gem here in Topsfield, Massachusetts.

Feature Contributed by Noah Quist, Corporate and Social Events Program Manager