The Good Food Tour

12/20/2021

12/20/2021

We’ll said!

Like many of you, we are concerned for the restaurants in our community.

The new restrictions announced on December 17 by the Ontario government are particularly difficult for restaurants. Restricting dine-in capacity hits them hard. Combine that with mere days notice of the changes during the busy holiday season when menus are set and food has been ordered adds to the complexity of the situation.

There are things we can do to help the beloved restaurants in our town. You've heard them before but they bear repeating.

If you are cancelling a dine-in reservation this season, maybe you would consider placing a take-out order instead. Also, ordering directly from the restaurant instead of using a third-party delivery app allows more of the money to stay with the restaurant.

If you are cancelling a staff gathering at a restaurant, gift cards for your team members are a great alternative.

Appreciate restaurant staff – they are also directly affected by the restrictions. Tip. Be kind. Great staff aren’t easy to find.

Don’t underestimate the power of a positive Google review. Not only does it help other people find great businesses, it also reminds business owners that their business and staff are appreciated. Be specific – if you loved a particular dish, had an amazing beverage, or valued the service, let them know.

Following your favourite restaurants on social media is also helpful. Comment, tag, and/or like their posts to let them know that you are there supporting them.

Carleton Place is a vibrant town with incredible residents and businesses. It’s a great place to live. Please keep supporting the independent businesses you value in the community.

09/30/2021

Every Child Matter, a simple, meaningful and emotional slogan. On this 1st day National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, let’s recognize the terrible legacy of residential schools, mourn the one who did not make it home and celebrate the survivors.

08/30/2021

Check out this lovely spot!

It’s cozy in the alley patio this morning 😎

08/19/2021

Explore Ottawa!

08/17/2021

I just had to share this. What can I say about Al Potvin that would be worthy of the way he lives his life and this amazing gift? We are forever grateful to have people in the world like you! I love my town!!!!

08/12/2021

Our tours are not running right now, but we still want to support our dear tour partners, so every week we are profiling one of the stops on our tour. This week we profile Angela Hui Custom Cakes and Fine Pastries. We feel privileged to have Angela’s pastries at our stop at the Gallery. It is a unique stop on our tour. As you can see her work is just stunning!

How have you been doing over that last year and a half?
The last year and a half has been challenging on all fronts. For my cake and pastry production, I’ve had to scale back. However, I used the time for creative work and to develop my new line of celebration cakes and wedding cakes, which feature my handmade sugar flowers. I am very excited about these elegant cakes and look forward to creating more of them for special events as we all begin to celebrate together again.

How can customers support you?
Please check out my Instagram page .pastry and share and comment on my posts! Also, please tell your friend and family about my cakes and pastries, and of course, reach out to me for your special events!

What do you look forward to the most when this is over?
Having gatherings with family and friends and celebrating together, with hugs of course. Providing beautiful cakes and pastries for special events.

Any other message you want to get out there?
Let’s focus on the positive and keep supporting each other.

07/27/2021

It's Monday today right? Where do the days go?!

This past Friday we were honoured to put on a special private tour for Christopher Bloore and his lovely wife, Charlotte. Christopher is the President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. Chris has a big position but is completely down-to-earth and genuinely curious and concerned about how the businesses are doing. We are thankful for his interest.

07/23/2021

We were thrilled to have Christopher Bloor, President and CEO of the on our food tour today. He got to meet some incredible businesses and see the beautiful town of Almonte. Here he is with Neal of .

#

07/23/2021

It was a pleasure to host CEO & President, Christopher Bloor of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) on a private food tour today. We got to show off some of our food businesses and the town of Almonte (aka Mississippi Mills). Here we are with the our Lowry, Mayor of Mississippi Mills.

07/22/2021

Our tours are not running right now, but we still want to support our dear tour partners, so every week we are profiling one of the stops on our tour. This week we profile the Mill Street Crepe Company. Mill Street Crepe Company offers a little bit of France right here in Almonte. Owner and chef, Wendy Barbaro, will serve you up the most delicious savoury and sweet crepes along with her mile-wide smile!

How have you been doing over that last year and a half?
In one word: challenging! However this past month people have been walking by and popping in for a bite.

How can customers support you?
Just having customers coming in to dine would be the best support. Good reviews are appreciated of course.

What do you look forward to the most when this is over?
I can’t wait to be around people again. And seeing live music!

Any other message you want to get out there?
It was really nice to see the community coming together to support each other. It was also really nice to see people posting their takeout from me on social media.

07/15/2021

Our tours are not running right now, but we still want to support our dear tour partners, so every week we are profiling one of the stops on our tour. This week we profile Coffee Roasters.

How have you been doing over that last year and a half? This has been a difficult time for everyone, but we’ve been so blessed to continue to serve our community throughout. Like many businesses, we’ve had to pivot and try new things. We opened our drive-thru window, expanded our patio, and launched a mobile app, all changes we’ll be keeping as things return to normal.

How can customers support you? Customers can support us by visiting our website, equator.ca, by grabbing a drink at our drive-thru window or on our app, or -as of this weekend- by joining us for lunch in the café!

What do you look forward to the most when this is over? We miss being a gathering place within the community. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back into the café and seeing everyone’s smiling faces!

Any other message you want to get out there? This has been a challenging time for everyone, but every challenge brings an opportunity for growth. Hopefully, we’ve all been able to re-evaluate what’s truly important and learned how resilient we really are. To quote A.A. Milne, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

07/12/2021

Who loves raspberries more than me? Due to labor shortages here on the farm there will be raspberries going to waste..... UNLESS you come PYO! Expect to see less raspberries at the stands and markets but understand there are plenty at the farm - fresh air and sunshine are free!

07/12/2021

Belly up to the chocolate bar! Oh ya!

07/04/2021

We can’t run our tours right now, but we still want to support our dear tour partners, so every week we are profiling one of the stops on our tour.

This week we profile Hummingbird Chocolate Maker. Who wouldn’t love this stop on our tour? Not only do they make award winning handcrafted chocolates, they carefully source quality cacao beans with a deep commitment to the farmers who cultivate them. They have great respect for people who make food, from grower to artisan.

How have you been doing over that last year and a half? We've been pretty busy. People seem to be finding some comfort in chocolate and gifting friends and family that they haven't been able to see. It's been challenging at times. First priority has been to keep our team safe and then to keep our customers happy.

How can customers support you? We're excited to have the store open again and would love to see everyone here enjoying a FroCho.

What do you look forward to the most when this is over? Giving tours again! We'll re-start them in our new space at 476 Ottawa Street in the fall.

Any other message you want to get out there? We're really grateful for all of the support the past year and a bit. It's made a world of difference.

chocolate maker

06/24/2021

We can’t run our tours right now, but we still want to support our dear tour partners, so every week we are profiling one of the stops on our tour.

This week we profile Pêches et Poivre a fine food, kitchenware and artisan cheese shop. Its packed with cool things! Lise and Sandra are the owners and connoisseurs of cheese and many other specialties.

How have you been doing over that last year?
Let's just say it has been a very challenging year. Our business depends on people walking into the shop. We have filled more on-line orders for gift baskets and Cheese Club over the past year than ever before, but on-line alone, for us, cannot sustain the business.

How can customers support you?
Think of us for gift-giving, start Christmas shopping now, buy and eat more Canadian artisan cheese, enjoy your small gatherings and think of us for some gourmet goodies, treat yourself to a new kitchen gadget or something yummy.

What do you look forward to the most when this is over?
We have managed to 'bubble' with our relatively small extended family, so I would say travelling tops the list after just getting back to 'normal' again.

Any other message you want to get out there?
Hang in there. If together we continue to be vigilant, we have a chance of getting this under control. Keep smiling under those masks!

06/21/2021

Occasionally we get some younger folks on our tours like these 2 great fellas on the right. They couldn’t take part in the alcohol but they were game for everything else!

06/20/2021

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there, and to the ones who are no longer with us. Chilling today with two incredible fathers.

06/17/2021

We still can’t run our tours right now, but we still want to support our dear tour partners, so every week we are profiling one of the stops on our tour.

This week we profile Black Tartan Kitchen. We love showing off this gem of a restaurant on our Bites on Bridge Street tour. Chef Ian Carswell never fails to impress all who dine at this little French bistro. The food is top notch and the atmosphere is warm and personal.

How have you been doing over the last year?
We have been doing pretty well over the last year. We have opened and closed and opened and closed but have been certainly occupied with the kids' virtual learning and all the renovations at the restaurant. Hopefully we will be finished the renos and ready to go by August.

How can customers support you?
Customers can best support us by sharing our social media posts, purchasing gift cards from our website and by coming to check out our new outdoor patio when these renos are done

What do you look forward to the most when this is over?
Definitely looking forward to seeing our dining room full of smiling happy people again! We miss our customers dearly.

Any other message you want to get out there?
While we may not be open for a while longer, please be sure to support some of the other fantastic small businesses in Downtown Carleton Place. Looking forward to seeing everyone again on the Good Food Tour soon!

tartan kitchen

06/15/2021

Volunteering at Indian Creek Orchard Gardens yesterday was work but it was fun too. Owners Marissa and Scott own an organic fruit and vegetable micro farm and sell CSA shares. You can find them at the Almonte Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. Check them out!

06/14/2021

Cronkwright and her husband had an enjoyable tour. Suzanne is a writer. Her latest book is Conquer the Clutter.

Would your dad love a food tour as a Father's Day gift? Check out our website to purchase a gift card!

06/09/2021

Fathers like The Good Food Tour (hint hint).

We can’t run our tours right now, but we still want to support our dear tour partners, so every week we are profiling one of the stops on our tour.

This week we profile Tea and Cake and Cake Catering. Tea & Cake is a quaint, classic tearoom in Almonte, Ontario, run by Gwendolyn Neelin, a barista-turned-baker with a passion for food, tea, and British tradition. They are currently offering take-out lunches and freshly-baked treats, tea, coffee and specialty hot beverages, in addition to a selection of take home dinners from their freezer, a shelf of retail food items including house made jams and preserves, and custom cakes for special events.

How have you been doing over that last year?
This last year and a bit have seen so many changes and challenges for everyone. We have all had to evolve our businesses and ourselves, and it hasn’t been easy, but our community has been so supportive, ordering from us regularly and sharing kind words about us on social media.

What you look forward to the most when this is over?
We are so excited to be able to host tea parties again, and experience the joyful buzz of a full dining room.

Any other message you want to get out there?
One lovely thing that’s come out of all this has been the reminder of how important food is as a love language in our society. We have loved feeling like we can help people to send love (in the form of cake) to their friends and family when they can’t be with them.

06/07/2021

These guys really enjoyed the stop where we had wood fired pizza and craft beer on our tour. Father's Day is coming up. Consider a gift card for one of our food tours! You can purchase them right on our website. TheGoodFoodTour.com

06/04/2021

We can’t run our tours right now, but we still want to support our dear tour partners, so every week we are profiling one of the stops on our tour.

This week we profile The Good Food Company - no relation to The Good Food Tour! Petra Graber has run this excellent cafe since 1997. That kind of longevity says a heck of a lot about her amazing food and business savvy. This cafe, come catering kitchen, come gourmet food store is the place we like to end our with. Petra wows us with her creativity using seasonal ingredients that are the perfect sweet ending to a great afternoon tour.

How have you been doing over that last year?
I have kept The Good Food Co. open for take-out throughout the pandemic. I feel lucky to have been able to keep working and to have regular, daily social contacts with my employees and customers. These are challenging times, but I made the deliberate decision to take this opportunity to make changes to my business that I hope will result in longterm improvements.

How can customers support you?
We have had lots of support from new and old customers throughout Covid. Please think of us as a gourmet take-out food store and casual counter-service cafe rather than the full-service bistro we used to be!

What you look forward to the most when this is over?
I am looking forward to once again providing a cozy, intimate atmosphere for our customers to enjoy without the barriers of masks and distance between us.

Any other message you want to get out there?
This is our moment in history, long overdue. My hope is that we learn some resilience and grace and gratitude and keep that with us as we move through and past this.

· Café
Place

06/01/2021

We're blessed to live a stone's throw from Canada’s capital, with tons to explore all year round both inside and outside the city!

What do you love best about where you live?

05/31/2021

You never know what shenanigans we might get up to on our tours! At · Bakery, Bob liked to bring out is alter ego. We had two lovely people from Ottawa Tourism come on our tour.

Did you know famous puppeteer, Noreen Young, from Under the Umbrella tree, lives in Almonte?

05/28/2021

Look what I got in the mail! I love Ottawa Road Trips! This is great timing as we eagerly anticipate travelling a little bit. Laura Byrne Paquet is a great resource on what to do close to home. We are pleased as punch to be part of her recommendations (page 124).

05/27/2021

We can’t run our tours right now, but we still want to support our dear tour partners, so every week we are profiling one of the stops on our tour.

This week we profile the Mile Brewing Company. We love stopping here. Nick is so personable and passionate about his beers. Their flagship ales are British-inspired and wonderfully balanced, with complex aromas and flavours. We encourage you to savour every sip like we do.

How have you been doing over that last year?
Quite good, all things considered! Covid has certainly introduced some challenges. The decision to offer free local delivery of our beer as well as cross-Ontario shipping from our website has really helped!

How can customers support you?
Please keep buying local craft beer! The support from the community has been both incredible and integral to our lights staying on and our doors staying open, so I can't say enough good things about all the people who continue to support us by buying our beer and beer from our other friends in the craft beer industry.

What you look forward to the most when this is over?
Pouring pints and talking about beer and all sorts of other things with our customers is something I really miss, and I think our customers really miss, too. I'm really looking forward to getting back to that.

Any other message you want to get out there?
Keep enjoying life, enjoying good food, and good beer, but above all, do it all safely! We're almost there!

05/24/2021

These two were full of fun and laughter. You could tell they had that easygoing kind of friendship. Here they are enjoying a cold brew at .

05/19/2021

We can’t run our tours right now, but we still want to support our dear tour partners, so every week we are profiling one of the stops on our tour. This week is & . Our guests love choosing from the well-stocked charcuterie tray from these two businesses while we sip beers at . The array of meats, cheeses along with savoury and sweet baked goods are to die for!

How have you been doing over that last year? We have been fortunate to have been able to stay open and keep our staff going. It was pretty difficult especially in the beginning.

How can customers support you? Not sure what they can do more as they have been wonderful - continuing to come to the store, talk about what they bought to their friends.

What you look forward to the most when this is over? To be able gather with friends and family and give lots and lots of hugs!!

Any other message you want me to get out there. Please remember that we are in this together and we will get through this. Be kind.