Everyone is hitting the Sea-to-Sky Highway and heading north.
At least that's what it felt like a bit on Saturday (Aug. 23) as Britannia Beach's Britannia Village held its official grand opening event.
The mixed-use development includes homes and businesses and uses nine restored, renovated, and gently relocated structures from the mining site's original village, all right across the road from the mine (which, PS, was used as a location for The Last of Us season two).
But in the mix are two well-loved Vancouver food spots that have expanded their respective portfolios to include these new outposts just a few minutes south of Squamish.
Autostrada, which began with a tiny, laid-back slice of a space in Riley Park before growing to be a three-location Vancouver Italian dining favourite, is now all cozy in Britannia's former schoolhouse with its "Oyster Bar & Grill" concept.
Popular Vancouver Italian restaurant showcasing seafood in Britannia
The schoolhouse, used up until the early 1970s, is the sole Village structure to have remained in its original spot, and was restored using reclaimed wood from throughout the village. They even went so far as to analyze old paint samples to determine what colour the schoolhouse had been. It's a soothing soft green with maroon and beige accents, and the indoor-outdoor design works nicely for the waterfront community, but the fireplace signals lots of cozy to come in cooler weather.
It's a fresh start for Autostrada, which in recent years has said goodbye to its original Main Street restaurant and its outpost on Pender in the heart of Downtown Vancouver. They continue to operate at Vancouver House, but the new Britannia Village restaurant has broadened the concept to include fresh seafood, including oysters, as promised.
Plus, this is the only Autostrada to be located right off our B.C. equivalent to an Italian "autostrada," aka the highway (and one of Canada's most picturesque, no doubt).
For the grand opening event, Autostrada held an invite-only preview featuring select sips and passed apps; the restaurant opens for guests on Thursday, August 28.
Parisian-style bakery launches its third café in new Britannia Village
Meanwhile, Vancouver's own Beaucoup Bakery's new third café is in a restored 1936 bunkhouse. The outpost features a 50 seat space, as well as a 545 square foot patio and offers a variety of Parisian-inspired delicacies, including its signature line of buttery croissants.
Beaucoup's long, narrow patio faces the Britannia Mine Museum, and the inside is styled like a mountainside cabin with an impressive array of vintage photos from the area.
"Our hope is to have this new space feel like a little escape, where people can stop in for a treat before heading up to the mountain, drop in for a cozy apres ski, or just catch-up with friends," said Beaucoup Bakery co-owner Betty Hung ahead of the shop's Aug. 11 soft opening.
Beaucoup began on Fir Street near Kitsilano and Granville Island before expanding to Downtown Vancouver at the base of the St Regis Hotel in May 2023.
Legacy ice cream brand's first location outside of Ontario
There are more sweet treats to be had in Britannia Village, but they didn't get there by way of Vancouver. Nope, Kawartha Dairy hails from Ontario. It's a beloved ice cream brand with a scoop shop and retail store in the restored 70-year-old Britannia Mine community church building.
Kawartha Dairy is styled much like other familiar big Canadian brands, like Foothills Creamery out of Alberta, Coaticook from Quebec, and Cows from P.E.I., with its line of flavours available in-house in cups, cones, or shakes or in take-home tubs.
They're scooping 35 flavours in Britannia –– Kawartha's first location outside of Ontario––like Key Lime Pie, Mint Chocolate Chip, Nanaimo Bar, or its trademarked Wolf Paws (vanilla with a chocolate butter fudge swirl and brownie pieces). The shop actually opened back in April, but took part in the grand opening fun on Aug. 23.
Here's a glance at the other retail tenants at Britannia Village:
- The Britannia General Store stocks local, high-quality groceries and features a café serving coffee, wine, beer, and brick-oven pizza.
- Copper & Fern stocks locally made and gift-able products for wellness, home and family.
- Copper Beach Bar + Kitchen is an Irish-style pub with fan favourite “pub grub,” Irish booze, and a patio with views of the museum and Howe Sound.
- ARKA Yoga Collective is a small hot yoga studio offering in-studio classes, workshops and retreats.
Given the ongoing popularity of nearby Outbound Station with its burgers and coffee stands, it seems Britannia Beach is poised to be a big draw for Sea-to-Sky travellers between Metro Vancouver to the south, and points north, like Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton.
With files from Indigo Lemay-Conway
Video: Grand opening at Britannia Village featuring Autostrada, Beaucoup Bakery, Kawartha Dairy
@forkingawesomevia Britannia Village has officially opened at Britannia Beach, right off the Sea-to-Sky Highway. I headed north for a grand opening preview, and I checked out the two Vancouver spots with new locations there, plus a place with massive ice cream scoops. 🍝 Autostrada has a new Oyster Bar & Grill inside the restored old schoolhouse. 🥐 Beaucoup Bakery opened its third café in a 1930s bunkhouse, croissants and all. 🍦 Kawartha Dairy scoops 35 flavours of its Ontario ice cream in its first B.C. shop. Add in a general store, pub, and yoga studio, and Britannia Beach is now more than just a pit stop on the way to Squamish or Whistler. I’m a fan of Autostrada & Beaucoup in Vancouver so it’s great to see them grow (but no review of Autostrada until I can try the actual menu!). Kawartha is what you expect, a lot like other 🇨🇦 ice cream brands like Cows, Foothills Creamery, Coaticook etc. #forkingawesome #britanniavillage ♬ 90s Lo-fi Hip Hop(1612417) - WICSTONE
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