A Monthly Newsletter 
MARCH 2015
Issue 13    
Image: Shane Godfrey Photography 
In This Issue
 

 

Thank you for keeping in touch with Willowdale Estate!  In this newsletter we have some great info about an exciting new family event and an introduction to our Sous-Chef, Suzzane Hilyard. Noah will get you up to speed with all of our community events and we will show you a historic detail of the house that most people miss!   

 

There are just a few tickets left for our SPRING TASTING on Saturday, March 14th. Guest will enjoy a front row seat as our chef prepares and serves a meal in our intimate test kitchen.  Enjoy a great meal, and learn more about seasonal cooking! The spring tasting is a great culinary experience for any food lover and tickets make a great gift. Get more info and tickets here: http://bit.ly/SpringTasting  

 

We hope you enjoy the March issue of our monthly newsletter.  Send your thoughts and feedback to Sarah@WillowdaleEstate.com!    

   

Sincerely,
Sarah Boucher, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager

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 

Feature contributed by Sarah Boucher, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager
 

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

HISTORIC DETAILS - Well He Could Ride

 

Once the summer residence of wealthy businessman Bradley Webster Palmer, Willowdale Estate was originally built on a large expanse of land in the North Shore to satisfy Mr. Palmer's favorite pastime: horse riding. The home's construction was unique because the stables and coach house (what we now refer to as the Great Room and Dining Room) were originally designed to attach to the main home before being renovated in the 1920s. At the turn of the 20th century this arrangement was strange, but practical for a bachelor who spent the majority of his time here for the sport of foxhunting and jumping with other members of the Myopia Hunt Club.

 

There is physical evidence of Bradley Palmer's favorite pastime all over the house, but one of our favorite details is shown in this picture window. The three panels made with wrought iron decorative glass depict three horsemen with an inscription from Shakespeare's "A Lovers Complaint".  

   

'Well could he ride, and often men would say

'That horse his mettle from his rider takes:

Proud of subjection, noble by the sway,

What rounds, what bounds, what course, what stop

he makes!'

And controversy hence a question takes,

Whether the horse by him became his deed,

Or he his manage by the well-doing steed.

 

The first two lines in bold are shown in the window pictured right. This line of text suggests that a horse's character is taken from its rider. However, if you go on to read the rest of this particular passage, the question is raised of who is really benefiting more from the relationship: the horse or the rider! Either way, this line suggests that Bradley Palmer felt a powerful connection to his horses and that his relationship with them was an important aspect of his life.

 

To find out more about Bradley Palmer, the handcrafted elements of his home, and how the Estate came to be what it is today, join us for our next Historic House Tour on April 21st! 

  

Feature contributed by Sarah Boucher, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager 
UPCOMING 
EVENTS!  
Saturday, March 14th - SPRING TASTING MENU at 11am or 1pm (tickets required)
Sunday, April 12th - FROZEN Tea Party from 11:30am-1pm (tickets required)
Tuesday, April 21st - HISTORIC TOUR from 6pm-7:30pm (registration required)
Saturday, May 16th - COOKING CLASS from 11am-1:30pm (tickets required)
For more info about planning your own Willowdale Estate Event contact us: Info@WillowdaleEstate.com