From lineup-worthy pastries to local craft beer, what to eat and drink on a day trip to delicious Guelph
The city boasts a thriving ecosystem of indie, community-driven food and drink businesses.
By Claire Sibonney Special to the Star
Guelph, about an hour’s drive (or roughly 70-minute train trip) west of Toronto, may be considered the city that beer built (specifically: Sleeman, founded and still headquartered here). But there’s more brewing in the city than just frothy pints, as I discovered on a recent culinary-themed weekend visit.
In May, Lynn Broughton, owner of Taste Detours, led me on an abridged version of her three-hour culinary tours, where we sampled the food and drink scene around the Renaissance Revival-style Old City Hall. “I wonder why more people don’t take the train from Toronto, hop off downtown, eat, wander, shop, hear music, attend one of our Fab Five festivals, and get back on (the train) at the end of the day,” says Broughton, delivering a solid itinerary.
Guelph’s deep agricultural roots have been cultivating an impressive food scene for years, translating into a rich farm-to-table culture focused on local ingredients, sustainability and food justice. But perhaps lesser known is the thriving ecosystem of independent and community-driven restaurants and food businesses.
The drink scene here is also expanding, with a destination-worthy winery, Cox Creek Cellars, and craft distilleries like the world-class Spring Mill Distillery on the banks of the Speed River. The latter is the new, family-owned venture by the Sleemans, creating spirits, from gin to single-malt whisky, under the John Sleeman & Sons label.
Read on for just a few of the worthwhile Guelph spots I discovered on my food tour.
Founder Eric Chevalier, born in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France, stays true to the traditions of a French pastry shop and bakery, with everything made in-house from scratch. Descended from a line of culinary artists — his great-great-great-great-grandmother, for instance, was a Cordon Bleu chef in Paris — Chevalier moved to Canada in 1974. His pastry journey began at his grandmother’s (now-shuttered) Toronto restaurant, Le Petit Gourmet. Of Chevalier’s own patisserie, tour guide Broughton raves: “That little shop has a lineup every day. Customers say his croissants are better than those found in Paris!”
In 2017, Andrew Wheeler was feeling restless and looking for a change. His wife, Kim, asked, “If you could do anything, what would it be?” Spotting a gap in Guelph’s food scene, he opened Tomme Cheese Shop. Since 2018, this cosy spot has been a hit, offering award-winning cheeses, from Quebec Riopelle to Prince Edward Island cheddar, as well as other nibbles and a small selection of fine international wines.
The name “Miijidaa” was inspired by the Ojibwe saying for “let’s eat,” and the menu reflects the diverse culinary influences that have shaped Canadian cuisine while emphasizing local ingredients. The dishes change seasonally, but fixtures include the burger with Ontario-raised venison, Manitoulin Island steelhead trout (sourced from Odawa Island Farms), and the 3 Sisters Salad (a nod to the Indigenous practice of companion planting corn, beans and squash). Another draw is their do-good ethos, reflected in their B Corp certification, and standards like sourcing 80 per cent of their food and drink from Ontario farms and producers.
Anne Forestell opened Wellington Cakes in 2011, bringing her passion for baking to life with a degree in nutrition, despite no formal training. Her shop is set on Douglas, one of Guelph’s prettiest streets, where you’ll see towering buildings of locally quarried limestone. Her custom cakes are a sight to behold, and her cupcakes and macarons are local favourites (don’t miss the peanut butter and jam flavour). Forestell’s great-great-great-great-grandfather, Felix Hanlon, was a Guelph resident in the 1800s, adding a historical connection to her sweet creations.
Kapow came about when Kolkata-born founder Pao Ming Lee combined a love for the outdoors, cycling and making unique treats into a mobile ice cream bike cart. “Kapow” was Lee’s go-to word to help people pronounce her first name; embracing the comic-book theme, she wanted her products to leave an impact. Today, you’ll find her small-batch ice cream at the nearly 200-year-old Guelph Farmers’ Market, where she’s a popular seasonal vendor due to her special flavours, including kulfi (a nod to the traditional Indian dessert, with rose, cardamom and saffron), and the vegan toasted coconut mango.
Twin brothers Colton and Asa Proveau dreamed up the idea for their company at age 18, as a high school project.
Their goal was to inspire community through beer by hosting workshops, food pop-ups and local bands, as well as hosting the Guelph Beer Bus (a free seasonal shuttle on select Saturdays, run collaboratively between six of Guelph’s breweries.) Today, Brothers Brewing is housed in the historic, stamped-metal-clad Petrie Building, where a rotating selection of house craft beers is on tap, from malt-focused German lagers and hoppy American IPAs to creamy oatmeal stouts and fruity sours.
Claire Sibonney travelled as a guest of Destination Marketing Guelph, which did not review or approve this article.
