Jeff Bray is the co-founder and festival director of the award-winning Cultivate Festival in Northumberland County. He’s also an instructor at Centennial College, where he teaches about food tourism, a former restauranteur, and a previous contributing writer to Watershed Magazine. We asked Jeff to give us his thoughts on a few of the unique Taste of the … Read more
Bobcaygeon is broken into two parts: the mainland and the islands. Together, they make up an idyllic cottage country community.
The main island is by far the largest. This is where you’ll find the largest concentration of shopping, outdoor recreation rentals, and food and beverage options. Bridges across the Bobcaygeon River connect it to the mainland—and to the second island, home of Lock 32 along the Trent-Severn Waterway.
The third island is the smallest of the three, and only big enough for a handful of buildings. It’s easy to miss, but explore and you’ll find a hidden gem: Cake by the Lake, a specialty bakery that packs a surprising variety into its tiny shopfront.
The village of Youngs Point may look tiny, but boaters exploring the Trent-Severn Waterway know it packs a lot in. For instance, there’s the historic Young Points Bridge, one of the oldest metal bridges in Ontario—and plenty of good eating. Dock a boat at Lock 27 and you’re not far from Lock & Anchor Eatery, a family-owned and operated restaurant that feels more like a home than a business after 30+ years and many owners and variations.
With no prior restaurant experience, Janice and Max Costa purchased Granny’s Kitchen back in 2016 in the hopes of inspiring their kids to move nearby and get involved. Having owned a restaurant myself, I can confidently say this is not a great reason to open a restaurant. The husband and wife team dug in nonetheless, and transformed the space into something they and their kids would be proud of.
Focal is a portmanteau of focus and local, and it’s more than just a name—it’s the philosophy that makes Hastings’ latest brewery so exciting. Brandon Bickle and Matt Filion may have just opened the doors of Focal Brewing Co. in 2022, but the plans have been in motion for about 12 years.
What started as a hobby has turned into an award winning operation.
About seven years ago, John and Linda Moroz got into beekeeping. John did it a little as a kid and always imagined it being a wonderful retirement hobby. Quickly, though, a small apiary turned into 200 hives across Hastings. It was too much, too fast, so they found their way to a comfortable 150 hives and hit their stride, producing award-winning honey and wax.