Prince Edward County | Ontario Culinary

Prince Edward County is an island in Lake Ontario where you go to fall in love with food, drink, nature, art, and community all over again. Made up of a cluster of small hamlets and villages, their roots are deep in farming and agriculture, trade through their waterways, and unique natural features surrounded by 800km of shoreline. You may have just found them but they’ve been welcoming visitors to their beaches for almost 200 years.

Today ‘The County’ is home to artists, entrepreneurs, farmers, winemakers, brewmasters, distillers, and chefs, and all sorts of creative and passionate folks. Prince Edward County has a reputation for capturing hearts and imaginations with their memorable experiences, notable history, and significant natural landscapes, so be warned: you may find yourself visiting for the weekend but considering staying for a lifetime.

Our ideal escape to The County has us sipping and savouring our way through breweries like Slake Brewing Co., All My Friends, Matron Brewing and Parsons Brewing before grabbing a table on the patio at Cressy Mustard for a delicious snack, a cider and some live music.

On a hot summer day, nothing hits the spot quite like a cone of small-batch ice cream from Slickers in Picton or Bloomfield before heading to Sandbanks Provincial Park for a swim and a walk (bring your sandals- that sand gets hot)!

When dinner rolls around we’re all too happy to head to Bocado in Picton or Merrill House before heading to a concert at Hayloft Dance Hall in Cherry Valley and waking up refreshed for coffee and a breakfast sammy at Beacon Bike + Brew or perhaps a morning cocktail and slowed down breakfast at The Royal Hotel.

In between it all are scenic bike rides, visits to art galleries and antique markets and of course, sampling all the goodness at the many local farmers’ markets.