Watershed is on the road … In this issue, it’s all about decking the halls, bundling up and embracing the colder weather and supporting the businesses that are working hard to create the food we savour. Let’s keep things local and source those special ingredients to create a comforting, decadent winter’s meal.
The Hive and Hearthstone
225 South Shore Road, Napanee
thehiveandhearthstone.com
Here’s a great reason to take a country drive on a Saturday: Tammy Lloyd’s Hive and Hearthstone farm on the south shore of Hay Bay has a uniquely pink residence for her chickens, Cluckingham Palace, honeybee hives and a tempting farm store. She’s crafted honey and beeswax candles and installed a wood-fired oven for her popular breads and fast-selling pizza with bee sting honey (first come, first-served!). There’s dessert pizza too with apple pie filling, crumble and caramel drizzle. And don’t miss the artisan chocolate oat cookies while you’re there.
Daughters Cider
Footstep Organics, 422 Fox Road, Wooler
daughterscider.ca
Paul Stewart grows organic produce on his Wooler farm that is sought out by discerning chefs at the markets where he sets up in Toronto. He also has a local customer following through community-shared agriculture and his family’s farm store for the bounty of vegetables and preserves. In 2019, he started an apple orchard with varieties for hard cider production, and Daughters Cider has proven a winner! The dry Cider Classic is refreshingly crisp and the Wild Pear (made from his neighbours’ pears) has been called “juicy, muddled, with a hint of farmhouse funk. Lovely!”
Porch Dog Coffee
55 Autumn Road, just north of Warkworth
porchdogcoffee.com
Warkworth’s new coffee roaster is all about excellent beans and animal love. Mark Dawidowicz, business consultant and entrepreneur and his adorable dog AJ have four small-batch blends with names that are as addictive as caffeine can be: Wagging Tail, Unleashed, AJ’s 50/50 nutty half-caffeinated blend and All Bark No Bite. The company has a pup-mobile to travel to area markets and events for sampling and a feel-good buzz. A portion of Porch Dog proceeds supports animal rescue and outreach services like Brighton’s Determined as Diesel supplies for special needs and senior animals.
Baking with Joy
Stirling
Facebook – Baking with Joy
When you love sourdough, there are so many possibilities from Baking with Joy. Kim Hoogland launched the microbakery in Stirling in 2024, dedicated to the routine of starting her day in the pitch black of early morning to work her sourdough magic. Yes, there are sourdough banana chocolate loaves (delightfully decadent!), along with all manner of classic loaves, baguettes, focaccia, pretzel bites, cinnamon rolls and doughnuts. Special orders welcome! You’ll find her handcrafted creations at area farm markets and shops like Nana’s Olde Fashioned Fudge and Gifts in Belleville.
Vegg Up
Verano Foods, Cobourg
veranofood.ca
Beverley Shepherd’s go-with-everything organic sauces are a healthy condiment for your home cooking. The financial services expert uprooted her life in Toronto and moved to the quiet beauty of Cobourg where she’s become a much-loved vendor at area farm markets. She’s passionate about sharing her quest to eat wholesome foods with creativity and flavour. Her Vegg Up line will transform your salads and shrimp cocktail platter like nobody’s business! Her sauces are also available in food shops and grocers, and there’s a mild spice option, too.
The Kafana
199 Front Street, Belleville
IG: @thekafana
This is the spot for freshly pinched varenyky – the Ukrainian word for perogies – the perfectly delicious symbol of comfort and tradition in the kitchens of Ukrainians. The Kafana in Belleville serves up classic savoury ones with potato or sweet fillings like blueberry and sour cherry. Or try the banichki, the warm cheesy pies that melt in your mouth! Corinne Sykes and her Ukrainian wife Myroslava Symonenko (who first met years ago on a plane headed to Ukraine) started pop-ups to fundraise for Ukraine war relief and opened their restaurant to continue sharing their love of food and culture.
Struisvogel Ostrich Ranch
3555 County Road 3, Carrying Place
struisvogel.ca
Now, if you haven’t dined on ostrich, this is an invitation! The tender red meat is easy to digest and high in iron – and makes a wonderful steak that tastes like filet mignon or tenderloin. Struisvogel ranchers Caleb and Brittany DenOuden fell in love with ostriches when they were volunteering in South Africa, home to expansive ostrich farms. They started thinking about farming the leggy, long-necked birds back in Canada, so they did. Come tour their Carrying Place farm, buy feed to make friends with the ostriches, and shop for pot pies and ostrich leather cowboy boots.
