Excited to Share: Our First Beehive Community Dinner Is Coming This March

We’re excited to share that planning for our first Beehive Community Dinner is well underway, and things are really starting to come together for March.

First up, we’ve been working with Fraser Health and now officially have our temporary food permit — yay! This means our plans have been reviewed and approved from a public‑health perspective, and we have the green light to move ahead.

Second, we’ve started to receive early donations and have submitted grant applications to several local funders. A huge thank-you to our donors for helping get this off the ground. While we’re still waiting on a few final grant decisions, things are looking promising that we’ll be able to offer tickets at a below-cost rate. For the first dinner, our aim is to set ticket prices at roughly 50% of the actual cost, balancing accessibility with learning what’s sustainable as we move forward.

And finally — we have a date. Saturday, March 14 is shaping up to be our very first Beehive dinner. Our team did some recipe testing last week (the best kind of meeting), learned a lot, and landed on a menu we’re really excited about.

Soni, Janice, and Toby testing burrito recipes for The Beehive

What’s for Dinner: Burrito Night

We’ll be serving a relaxed, build‑your‑own burrito dinner — or turn it into a salad if that’s more your style — all enjoyed family‑style at shared tables:

• Mexican‑spiced pulled chicken

• Mexican‑spiced tofu (vegetarian option)

• Homemade refried beans and Mexican rice

• Warm flour or gluten‑free tortillas with fresh toppings, including shredded lettuce, salsa, cheese, and pickled red onions

• A sweet finish of churro cake with cinnamon sugar — because there’s always room for dessert (contains flour, yogurt, and eggs)

The churro cake was the clear favourite during our taste‑testing session — we may have gone back for seconds. We forgot to snap a photo, so you’ll just have to come try it yourself.

Food notes: While we aren’t able to cater to individual dietary needs, we’re doing our best to be transparent about ingredients and potential allergens, and to offer build‑your‑own options so you can tailor your meal.

Build your own burritos with all of the fixin's

Beverages

Water will be available at the tables. Additional beverages — including soft drinks and a homemade hibiscus punch — will be available for purchase.

Activities & Atmosphere

A kids’ craft table will be available throughout the evening. After dinner, we’ll set out board games and cards for anyone who’d like to stay, play, and connect — whether you’re competitive or just in it for the laughs.

Guests are seated at shared tables and enjoy a homemade meal served family‑style, creating lots of easy opportunities for conversation. Participation in activities is always optional — you’re welcome to simply eat, chat, and head home if that’s more your speed.

Tickets & Capacity

We’re in the process of setting up the online ticketing site, and tickets should be available within the next week. For this first dinner, there will be 40 seats available. We’re intentionally starting small so we can learn, adapt, and grow with care.

How You Can Get Involved

As we gear up, there are a couple of ways to take part:

• Volunteer: We’re looking for help with food prep, setting up the dining hall, front‑of‑house roles like greeting and serving guests, enthusiastic board‑game helpers to introduce games and get people playing, and clean‑up. If you’re interested, please email us at thebeehive.communitydinners@gmail.com.

• Support future dinners: If you’re able and would like to help support future Beehive dinners, donations are warmly welcomed. Contributions help us cover food costs, keep ticket prices low, and host additional dinners beyond our pilot. Once the ticketing site is live, you’ll be able to donate there, or you can reach out to arrange an e‑transfer. Completely optional — and deeply appreciated.

A Few Important Notes

Meals are made from scratch, with both meat and vegetarian options available. The dinners are volunteer‑run by local community members, and ticket prices are subsidized through donations and grants to keep them accessible.

Fun and relaxing table, with hibiscus punch, aka jamaica!

Although the dinners take place at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in South Surrey, The Beehive Community Dinners are not a religious initiative and are open to people of all beliefs and backgrounds. The building is wheelchair accessible and accessible for people with disabilities.

We aim to create an inclusive, respectful space where people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities feel comfortable and welcome. These dinners are especially welcoming for people who are new to the neighbourhood, live on their own, or are simply looking to meet a few neighbours — but truly, everyone is welcome.

Come as you are, meet a few neighbours, and enjoy a slower, more connected evening.

Looking Ahead

The Beehive Community Dinners are relaxed, neighbourhood‑focused meals designed to help people living in White Rock and Surrey connect in a simple, welcoming way. This spring, we’re hosting three pilot dinners to see what’s working, what could be improved, and whether there’s community interest in continuing.

If you attend, we’ll invite you to share feedback through a short survey or comment card — and we’ll thank you with a freshly baked homemade cookie.

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