Mates on Crates Feat. Curtis Redel
G’day,
Those in the know, know where to go.
We’re excited to have just launched our latest episode of Mates on Crates, featuring Curtis Redel, Owner & Operator at WOODS on Pender Island. Opened in June 2015, WOODS on Pender is a modern camping and glamping resort that combines the atmosphere of the outdoors with the comforts of a hotel. Guests can choose from renovated motel rooms, rustic log cabins, and distinctive Airstream trailers with private hot tubs, fire pits, and hammocks. The property also features a Nordic Spa and Coffee + Kitchen, an on-site restaurant serving locally sourced comfort food and freshly baked pastries. Having grown up in the hotel industry, Curtis went on to work at the Pan Pacific Vancouver before building a career in real estate, eventually bringing his hospitality and business experience together at WOODS. Since opening the resort, he has spent 11 years overseeing its operations and culinary program, championing local producers, and creating an experience that balances nature, thoughtful design, and modern convenience.
It was a pleasure to sit down with Curtis to chat about life on Pender Island, his approach to hospitality, his international travels, and all of Curtis’s favourite spots.
Each time we do a Mates on Crates interview, our guests share up to twenty of their favourites with us. For each episode, only a handful of those favourites make it into the final two minute cut. In order to highlight all of our guest’s favourites, we are happy to share the full list of favourites right here.
Curtis’S favourites at Coffee + Kitchen Restaurant:
Breakfast: The Cruffin, filled with lemon curd, buttercream, and fresh berries.
Main: The Sausage Pizza, made with house sausage, fior di latte and fresh vegetables.
The FULL LIST of Curtis’s Local Favourites:
Brunch: Café Medina and Chambar (Vancouver)
Coffee: Bam Bam, Revolver (Vancouver), Fernwood Coffee, Hey Happy Coffee (Victoria)
Dying to Try: Published on Main, Prophecy, Meo, and Chez Céline (Vancouver)
Hidden Gem: Ugly Duckling (Victoria)
Neighbourhood Favourites (Pender): Raven Rock Farm, Braeloch Farms, Wilder Wood Farm
Neighbourhood Favourites (Victoria): Hey Happy, Marilena, Citrus & Cane, The Courtenay Room
Pastry: Bam Bam, Fife Bakery, To Live For Bakery (Vancouver), Goodside Bakery (Victoria)
Pizza: Wild Mountain (Sooke)
Thanks for joining us, Curtis!
Watch Curtis’s full Mates on Crates Episode below.
