Who doesn’t love butter and all things sweet? Butter tarts, a quintessential Ontario dessert, are the star of Wellington-North’s Butter Tarts & Buggies trail. April Marshall, Tourism Manager at Wellington North, educates families about the area’s unique history and how this tasty treat comes into play.
What was once an experience solely dedicated to butter tarts has now grown into the thriving Butter Tarts & Buggies experience that it is today. “The trail started in well north,” said Marshall of the region. “It’s a very heavily Mennonite populated area,” said Marshall, “we brought them together with us to make the butter tarts.”
At its core, the Butter Tarts & Buggies experience is all about having people explore a simpler life and take a break from the day to day hustle. “It’s a chance for people who live in the urban areas to slow down and explore,” said Marshall. The Butter Tarts & Buggies Trail has over 30 members, including organic farms, variety shops with handmade Mennonite goods, spices, freshly butchered meats, and, of course, butter tarts. For a real treat (before filling up on butter tarts), stop by Pebbles Family Restaurant, a popular stop on the trail, that features an all-you-can-eat style Mennonite buffet for both lunch and dinner.
For those who haven’t had a butter tart, expect unparalleled sugariness. “You’ve had maple syrup,” said Marshall, “it’s like that sweetness infused into like a flaky crust.” Butter tarts come in an array of variations, some with raisins, some with nuts, flaky crust versus crumbly, the combinations are never ending. The common denominator? “Everybody that we talk to believes that their grandma makes the best butter tart,” said Marshall.
Whether grandma makes the best butter tarts or not, locals and visitors alike can agree that the Butter Tarts & Buggies Trail is a must when traveling through the Wellington-North area. Plan to bring some cash along, as a lot of the smaller stops do not have the ability to take credit cards, as well as avoiding Sundays when most stops are closed for religious services.
-By Ettractions Digital Content Editor, SARAH LEITH
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