How the chef at Fanningbank prepares for levee day

Imagine prepping cocktails and nibbles for 800 friends to visit — that's exactly what Rebecca Sly has been doing for months. Sly is the new executive chef at Government House, and since November she has been preparing for the lieutenant-governor's New Year's Day levee. 

Sly has chosen to stick with the traditional fruitcake offering for the levee that has kicked off the New Year's Day tradition for Islanders for years. 

"I think it's good to keep with tradition, especially in a property as old as itself and stick with the traditional levees," Sly said.

"We've got a nice cranberry and ginger spritz with vodka in this year for the alcoholic option, and we have a nice warm apple cider, which has got cinnamon, star anise, and you know will warm those tummies on the cold snowy morning."

1000s of pieces 

The cupboards have been filling up with the fruitcake since the first of November, and each week she makes more — about 100 portions at a time and feeds the prepared ones with brandy to keep them moist.

Now 1,200 pieces of cake are ready to go — that's about 40 big fruitcakes plus the sponge cake. Those numbers have meant a lot of trips to the grocery store for supplies. 

"I get some strange looks when I'm at Sobeys or Atlantic Superstore," she said.

"It's just taking it bit by bit because it's such a heavy item as well to buy dry fruits, and you know the amount of alcohol that also goes into the fruitcakes."

New tradition

Sly has experience cooking meals for about 200 at a school she used to work at, but this will be her first levee. She hasn't even attended one since moving to P.E.I. from England, but said she hopes to pop her head out to take in the Island tradition.

"It's interesting because traditionally in England we would tend to celebrate on New Year's Eve. New Year's Day people are usually nursing a hangover, or you know starting to take down the Christmas decorations. It's not a day we tend to celebrate," she said. 

"So I like the idea of getting up and celebrating the New Year in."

Sly is also busy preparing a meal that will feed the 50 volunteers that help out on levee day, and said it will be odd not to have to prepare any more cake for a while. 

"I think I might be in mourning that I've got no more fruitcake to make. But yeah, I'm sure I'll come round again quickly for next year."

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