White Rock’s Slainte By The Pier: ‘A slice of Ireland and a pint of life’
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MAURA DE FREITAS and Catholine Butler with Jack Sixsmith (owner of Slainte By The Pier).
EXTERIOR of Slainte By The Pier restaurant in White Rock.
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By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER – It is very rare occasion when my daughter Maura and myself get an opportunity to enjoy a leisurely lunch together as we both have busy lives, along with an ongoing hectic schedule working together on The Celtic Connection newspaper.
Recently, we took advantage of our short production break and took a drive out to White Rock where we savoured a delicious meal at the Irish owned and operated restaurant, Slainte By The Pier.
We picked the perfect day. The sun was shining and the sea was sparkling as joggers, walkers and sightseers were all out enjoying the beautiful weather along the famous pier.
Slainte is the Irish word for cheers or good health and Slainte By The Pier is located on White Rock’s west beach, overlooking Semiahmoo Bay and the White Rock pier.
After leaving the hustle and bustle of Vancouver traffic, just arriving in White Rock feels like a holiday. The atmosphere is so much more relaxed with the calming effect of the sea.
Slainte By The Pier has built a strong reputation for their excellent cuisine based on fresh produce with particular emphasis on fresh seafood.
There is seating in the cosy restaurant and bar for 100 people and each seat downstairs or upstairs in the mezzanine offer a great view of the water. The mezzanine area seats 25 people and is available for private parties.
Slainte By The Pier is owned and operated by Jack Sixsmith who is originally from Athy, County Kildare.
He has an extensive background in the hospitality business having worked in several establishments across Europe. He also managed and opened Irish pubs in Germany, France, Holland and Australia.
Jack met his Canadian-born wife Laine Henderson in Dublin when she was singing with her band. She also toured the United States for a year as a singer with Riverdance. She now sings every weekend at Slainte By The Pier.
Laine writes her own material for her CDs and her latest release entitled Occasional Rain, which can be purchased at the restaurant. The couple have two children, daughter Kyra and son Elliot.
We had a most enjoyable and unhurried afternoon at Slainte and also had an opportunity to speak with Jack about his business.
He said, “We’ve been in business for the past two and a half years and we’re really very pleased with the steady growth. We always have a lot happening throughout the month such as our weekly Sunday Irish traditional music sessions where there are anywhere from six to 10 musicians. This always draws a large crowd.
Jack said, “I generally sit in with the group and play bodhran and sing while Laine sings and plays the tin whistle. The sessions start at 2 PM and finish about 5 PM.
“The second Wednesday of every month, we have a team trivia quiz and that is proving very popular with more people coming every month.
“We also have comedy night on the last Friday of each month and the restaurant is always packed for that. Comedy night draws comedians from Vancouver and in fact all over B.C. There are usually about six comics per night and it’s just a hoot.”
Jack invites people to come and see for themselves and enjoy...a slice of Ireland and a pint of life.
If you’re looking for somewhere unique to take your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day dinner, Slainte By The Pier has a special ‘Be My Valentine’ dinner for two. Check out the mouth watering menu on their website at: www.slaintebythepier.ca
Slainte By The Pier is located at 15057 Marine Drive in White Rock, B.C. For reservations or more details, call (778) 294-0066, or visit their website: www.slaintebythepier.ca.
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