Ham and Strawberry supper returns to Avondale

A popular summer dinner will return to Avondale United Church, continuing Parkview’s legacy.

Avondale United Church will host its third annual Ham and Strawberry Supper on June 17 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The supper will include ham, pasta salad, carrot salad, coleslaw, a bun, strawberries and ice cream, with cake replacing the ice cream in take-out orders.

"This is our third year doing it since Parkview United Church joined us and continuing on the tradition that they started and it's been very successful the last couple of years and really appreciated by our congregation and the community as a whole,” said Doris Barkley, congregation member.

The Ham and Strawberry Supper began at Parkview United Church and continued at Avondale ever since Parkview amalgamated with the church in 2024.  Aleah Graff, Avondale’s community engagement coordinator, remembers the enthusiasm for the beloved supper after the amalgamation.

"They dove just right into the planning and I remember it really got the rest of us engaged and it really showed how well everybody was able to work as a team which I think is really important to Avondale,” she said.

Lots of volunteers put the event together from making phone calls, promoting the event, picking and hulling strawberries, making the salads, setting up the dining hall, and serving the food.

"It certainly takes an army to put something like this together,” Barkley said.

Although Avondale’s event is half the size of what Parkview drew in, it’s still popular and celebrates the approaching summer season and coming together to enjoy local flavours.

 "It's all about the ham and strawberries. Strawberries means that summer is coming and it's a gathering,” Barkley said. “We're used to gathering over food and even though people do takeout, they often go to someone's house and have dinner together with others. It is a gathering over food and being thankful for what our local farmers have and what we can provide." 

Proceeds from the event will support Avondale’s congregation including the community meals, food shelf and other initiatives.

Tickets for the Ham and Strawberry Supper are $25 and can be purchased up until June 15 at noon by calling the church’s office at 519-271-7946 on Mondays to Thursdays between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.