Just west of Toronto, you’ll find Wellington County — a veritable locavore playground just waiting to be explored. Wellington is home to Guelph, Fergus, Minto and possibly Ontario’s best kept edible treasure: Elora.
Amongst the pastures and heirloom vegetable farms, you’ll find pockets of parks and villages perfect for a picnic or patio linger. Being just an hour or so away from the GTA, why not spend an afternoon exploring?
Feast on the roasted pork belly, chickpea and potato salad with salsa verde and smoked tomato pepper jam at Scozia in Fergus
Here are our top five spots and sites to stop in and nibble in Wellington County!
1. Elora Bread Trading Co., Elora
Oh EBTC, how we love thee — let us count the ways. Quite possibly the best sourdough in Ontario, nay, the world — The Elora Bread Trading Co. is the brain child of renaissance women extraordinaire Calantha Elsby & Sonya Chang. They serve up wicked bread with a side of sass and oh, they do galettes, sandwiches and other local fare too! Try their F&M Spelt Grain Loaf — made with spent grains from F&M Stonehammer Brewery’s beer brewing process.
elorabreadtradingcompany.com
2. Wellington Brewery, Guelph
Established in 1985, Wellington Brewery is the first North American brewery in modern times to brew cask ale. It’s also the only one that encourages you to drink their brew from a boot. They host free guided samplings anytime between 1pm & 4pm every Saturday, but you can pop into the retail shop or their Iron Duke House for a pint any day of the week!
wellingtonbrewery.ca
3. Scozia at The Breadalbane Inn & Spa, Fergus
Pizza, pasta and good Ontario wines are the bread and butter of this locally minded trattoria at the famed Breadalbane Inn. Try the gnocchi and the haggis — they’re both delightfully delicious! Bonus: They’re a Feast ON designated restaurant, so you know they’re supporting local farmers and producers!
scoziarestaurant.com
4. Palmerston Farmer’s Market, Palmerston
This adorable farmers markets sets up shop each spring in the Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum. Throughout the year, they host fun weekend surprises ranging from corn roasts to strawberry socials, all complementing the very best local produce vendors from the area.
mintofarmersmarket.ca
5. Savour The Flavours, Minto
Okay, so this isn’t technically a ‘place’, but come autumn each year — Minto becomes the place to be when Savour The Flavours comes to town. Savour the Flavours pairs local producers with chefs from the region to create a potluck style dinner made up of various sample-sized dishes. The event sells out every year, so mark your calendars now!
savourminto.com
Looking to find out more about what to see and eat in Wellington? Check out Guelph Wellington Local Food for more. These are but a drop in the bucket after all! What are your favorite places in Wellington County?
Originally published as part of the Perfect Weekends series on OntarioCulinary.com
