WEST BEND — Fall is just days away, but before temperatures begin to drop, the West Bend Specialty Shops are partnering with area restaurants to warm the belly of shoppers next weekend during the inaugural Soup and Sourdough shopping event on Sept. 28.
A total of 17 shops will be participating in the event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 28, and at each shop a different restaurant from West Bend will have a unique soup for punch card-holders to sample, along with some sourdough bread from Crumb and Sponge.
According to Downtown West Bend Association (DWBA) Executive Director Noelle Braun, Soup and Sourdough is a rebranding of the Specialty Shops’ fall shopping event.
“We get together regularly with the specialty shops and brainstorm their shopping events, and as we were brainstorming their fall event, one of the shop owners suggested a soup and sourdough theme,” said Braun. “So, it has evolved into what we are doing now, and with that we decided let’s get more of our restaurants involved.’
Each restaurant that is participating donated a 18-quart NESCO of soup that will be paired with one of downtown West Bend’s unique shops. A full list of which shops and restaurants have been paired up, and what soup will be available, can be found online on the DWBA Facebook page, at tinyurl.com/4rs3rybe.
“That shop will have that soup available and there will be sampling cups,” said Braun. “People who buy the VIP ticket will get a punch card that will pick up at The Bend Theater the day of the event between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.”
According to Braun, only VIP ticket holders will be given soup samples. As of Wednesday, 93 of the 200 tickets for Soup and Sourdough have been sold, and if tickets are still available on Sept. 28, they will be available for purchase at The Bend the day of the event.
“We will let the public know closer to the day of the event how many tickets may still be remaining,” said Braun.
Participants will not only be given 17 soup samples while checking out the downtown West Bend specialty shops, but they will be able to vote on which soup is their favorite, as well.
“At each location (participants) can scan a QR code on the sign next to the soup with the name of the restaurant, and they can vote for their favorite soup,” said Braun. “The People’s Choice-winning restaurant will get a Golden Soup Ladle Award and bragging rights.”
Braun added that the restaurants will also feature their soups as a special on their menus during the event.
In addition to the soup samplings and shopping, there will also be sourdough bread-making workshops that anyone can sign up for, not just VIP punch card holders.
According to Braun, there will be three classes, two with Erin from Faith Rises Sourdough at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at The Outbreak, 151 N. Main St., West Bend (sign-up information available online, at tinyurl.com/2nnwevmd), and one with Alyssa from Auloubro Sourdough Co. at 11 a.m. at Authentic Wellness, 301 N. Main St., West Bend (sign-up information is available online, at tinyurl.com/2s35tkn9).
“They’re classes where people can learn how to start the sourdough baking journey,” said Braun. “They will get a sourdough starter with it, and the Specialty Shops will have starter available at their locations, too, if people want to purchase more.”
The classes from Faith Rises Sourdough cost $25 per person, and the class from Auloubro Sourdough Co. costs $30 per person.
Tickets for Soup and Sourdough can be purchased online for $15 each, at tinyurl.com/3wh36wc3.
“We just thought this would be a really fun take on this annual fall shopping event,” said Braun. “We have fantastic shops with such a variety of items for people to peruse through. As fall is upon us, people are thinking of sweater weather and soup weather, and we are just so grateful to the generosity of these local 17 restaurants to make some really delicious and unique soups to add to a fun day out exploring our beautiful downtown West Bend.”