Summer is here and the best way to cap off that perfect sunny afternoon or evening is with a delicious treat. Indulge your sweet tooth in Huntsville and Lake of Bays by visiting one of our unique locations offering everything from ice cream, gelato, chocolate and maple syrup. If you prefer savoury to sweet, you can find sauces, preserves and other home cooked creations as well. With a wealth of products lovingly crafted from scratch right here in the heart of cottage country, you are never far away from your next mouth-watering indulgence.
If you have signed up for the Cottage Country Spirit program, the businesses highlighted below are all ready to welcome you and your vouchers. Discover your “cottage country spirit” and our mutual love for this part of cottage country by supporting local tourism businesses located in your own backyard as they recover from Covid-19 closures earlier this year.
Located next to the Muskoka River in Huntsville, Affogato Café + Gelato offers custom made authentic gelato in a range of delicious flavours such as Nutella and caramel, hazelnut, dulce de leche and apple crumble. The also have a variety of specialty coffees, signature sandwiches, soups, Italian pastries and desserts with gluten free, vegan and dairy free options. Their most unique feature has to be The Gelato Barge. Every summer weekend Affogato operates a barge serving up their gelato to paddlers and boaters in Huntsville’s network of crystal clear lakes. You can order the barge to deliver directly to your dock, or find it by GPS to track down your favourite treat. You can reach them at 705-784-9998 or follow them on Facebook.
Belly Artisan Ice Cream is all natural and completely handcrafted with an obsessive attention to detail and an emphasis on creativity. Made from scratch using locally sourced fresh dairy, traditional flavours such as vanilla bean and salted caramel are joined by bespoke flavours such as wild blueberry lavender, rhubarb ginger, cinnamon bun and scotch whiskey with smoked almonds and salted caramel. Located in Huntsville, the Scoop Shop is the perfect place to experiment with new flavours and purchase your new favourite treat to take home. You can call them at 705-571-5258 or visit their Facebook page for more details.
Huntsville’s Maple Bluff Farm is a 3,200 tap producer of maple syrup and other delicious maple treats. Visit the farm or shop online to find a diverse selection of delectable maple products including butter, sugar, jam, jelly, mustard, bbq sauce and, of course, their signature maple syrup. They also do special orders, including gift baskets and boxes, wholesale orders and weddings and events. Call them at 705-787-1536 for more details.
At its downtown Huntsville location, The Nutty Chocolatier is possibly best known for its huge selection of ice cream and frozen yogurt. Any given evening you can see visitors and locals alike enjoying their frozen treats on the Town docks are strolling Huntsville’s historic Main Street. The store offers much more than ice cream, with a large selection of chocolate creations including nut clusters, barks and truffles, as well as a variety of specialty fudge. They also sell no sugar added chocolates and treats. The Nutty Chocolatier stocks an impressive selection of vintage and hard to find candy and chocolate bars – including some that you haven’t seen since your childhood! The store is open for indoor shopping as well as curbside pickup. You can find out more by calling them at 705-788-0986 or visiting their Facebook page.
The Humble Pie Butter Tart Factory & Pizzeria
True to its name, Baysville’s The Humble Pie Butter Tart Factory & Pizzeria offers award-winning butter tarts in flavours you didn’t even know existed. Baked on site from scratch, you have not lived until you have tried one of their butter tarts still warm from the oven. Humble Pie offers a full selection of bakery goods including pies, breads, tarts and some of the best home-baked pizza in the region. Open for takeout, you can call them at 705-224-8278 to order or find them on Facebook for more details.
If your taste buds lean more toward the savoury than the sweet, Baysville’s Yummies in a Jar is the place for you. Using local products whenever possible, owner and cook Lynn Murden creates gourmet jams, mustards and barbeque sauces, jellies, pepper jellies, maple syrups and vinaigrettes. Open for indoor shopping with curbside pickup and online ordering options, call them at 705-767-2587 or visit their Facebook page.
Whether you have been enjoying some outdoor adventure activities, taking advantage of unique shopping opportunities or just looking for a quick trip out, you can find the perfect sweet treat to brighten your day in Huntsville and Lake of Bays. So grab a loved one and get an ice cream, gelato, butter tart or other delicious creation – your taste buds will thank you!
If you have Cottage Country Spirit vouchers to redeem, make the trip to Huntsville and Lake of Bays and redeem them at one of these incredible participating locations. Help support the local tourism industry while enjoying a deliciously sweet treat right in your own backyard.
