Wandering through Picton

Curated tours combine history and culinary delights

The town of Picton is replete with history. Since its incorporation in 1837, it had seen an economic ebb and flow through the nearly two centuries. Yet unlike many other small towns in Ontario, it has maintained its character. In particular, its Main Street façade remains recognizable from its early days, with about 60 per cent of the extant buildings dating back to the 1840s. The dynamic Main Street is home to thriving retail businesses, a Carnegie Library, a hotel and numerous well-regarded restaurants, all located in buildings imbued with a rich history.

The combination of culinary and history is what led Lindsay Hepburn and Marie Greatrix to create County Epicurious, an agri-tourism business that offers curated tours of Main Street where participants learn about the history and get to sample some of the local restaurant cuisine. “I’ve done food tours all over the world, and I think the County is such a great place. We have so many farms, and so many great chefs, and I said to Lindsay ‘How about doing a walking food tour here in Picton?’ This was in March of this year, and in a heartbeat the business started,” said Ms. Greatrix. Both Ms. Greatrix and Ms. Hepburn embrace the entrepreneurial spirit. When Ms. Greatrix’s career came to an unexpected early end, she took up baking and last year supplied over 30,000 bagels to local customers. Ms. Hepburn moved to the County about three years ago after a career in commercial real estate and now takes care of a small hobby farm on a historic 1800s-era property.

County Epicurious offers a three-hour walking tour along Main Street, from Johnson Street to Chapel Street with about a dozen or so stops along the way. At the present time, a little more than 20 businesses or restaurants have agreed to be part of the tour—and more will be added in the near future—so each of the tours will be slightly different. Ms. Hepburn calls this Phase One of a longer-term business strategy. “People can have samples of food, of beverages, of products, all related around culinary. It’s at a pace where you can slow down and relax—that’s why it’s called a ‘wander’. We want people to feel like they are part of our community, for visitors to ‘live local’ and to experience the fabric of the community. We like to think of it as culinary, community and culture as being our main pillars,” said Ms. Hepburn. The tours are being led by Ms. Hepburn, Ms. Greatrix and Neil Story, who has had six years of experience as a tour guide in London, England. They will point out some of the historical highlights in the town as well as some of the lesser known treasures, and provide a behind the scenes glimpse of the businesses taking part. “Each wander will offer a unique experience. We may have a ‘picnic on a roof’, or chats with a chef on how they use local products. Some of the restaurants are serving on-menu sample portions, but a good number are supplying off-menu items created specifically for our guests,” said Ms. Hepburn.

The business community has thrown its support behind County Epicurious. In fact, one business that was closed during a recent wander gave County Epicurious a key to let themselves in. “What other community would do that?” asked Ms. Hepburn. The tour stops are chosen to mesh smoothly with a business’s operation. For example if a restaurant is especially busy around lunch, then a stop there will be scheduled before or afterwards. Currently, a Morning Wander and an Afternoon Wander are being offered Thursday through Sunday, with a maximum of 10 guests. There’s also a Sunday Wander from the Picton Farmers’ Market that ends with a specially prepared brunch by a local chef at a hidden gem of a location. County Epicurious is also offering an Epic Box of curated goods from local producers that will allow visitors to take home a taste of the County. Phase Two of the business will include visits to farms to meet with the producers and sample some of their products. The tours are being deliberately kept small to enhance the sense of community. “We’re not willing to sacrifice all of the extras we put into it in order to get more profit. We would rather build up the community and foster the feeling that we have,” said Ms. Hepburn. For more information please visit countyepicurious.ca