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.

08/19/2021

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 .

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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.”