Williamsford Pie Company
Sometimes, we just need to get in the car and go for a drive. We do this quite often. Sometimes, we have a destination; other times, it’s wherever the wind takes us. More often than not – a day trip destination is decided upon based on cravings and our sweet tooth.
The town of Williamsford may not seem like much of a destination to you, but this is exactly where we are headed. This small hamlet is located about 1.5 hours north along Highway 6 from Guelph and about 20 minutes south of Owen Sound. There is not a lot there. However, as you drive along Highway 6, you will see a lot of cute towns, hamlets, and villages that you can stop at along the way. Williamsford has a cool bookshop and the Williamsford Pie Company.
Williamsford Pie Company is a great place to stop when you are in the area of Grey County. They make everything from scratch, by hand, and in-shop. The bakery offers a wide array of baked goods, from amazing pies, tarts, cannolis, squares, cookies and much more. They are also a sandwich & pizza shop where you can get a slice (or whole) of pizza, a freshly made sandwich, soup, etc.
Plenty of Pies
The pies are the big draw to this place, but that is not all for which they are known. The number of flavours of pies that they have is just astounding. They make the best sweet potato pie that I have ever had. Their signature pie is a delicate and delicious lemon raspberry buttermilk, which is terrific. The lime coconut pie is very nice but could use a little more lime.
Butter Tart Quest
Appearance:
The tarts have a very handmade appearance. Each tart is different from the others. The variations between the butter tarts can range from light and golden to dark and nearly burnt.
The shells are very deep, making for a butter tart of considerable size.
Crust
The crust is very thick and flaky and not greasy. It was a little too thick for my liking. The texture is almost that of a shortbread-style cookie crust while still being a good pastry crust. It is buttery and tasty.
Filling
The filling has a thicker gelatinous consistency with no ooze. Some of the tarts I had were not well-filled. In fact, it seemed like the filling evaporated some in the baking. The flavour is very buttery and sweet. While thick and gelatinous, the texture is also very smooth and creamy. If you have a raisin tart, there are a fair number of raisins inside the butter tart, which are plump, juicy, and sweet. While I am not personally a huge fan of raisins, I can appreciate the enjoyment another has of them. If you are into that sort of thing, the raisin butter tart would be a delightful raisin filling.
Crust to Filling Ratio
The ratio between the crust and filling is very variable. Some of the butter tarts have 50% filling, while others are full. Some of the butter tarts have an ample space inside which you don’t notice until you bite or cut into it.
Overall Experience
It was a very sweet buttery tart, and the crust overpowered due to the lack of filling. The pastry was tasty but a bit too thick, and the filling was delicious but just too inconsistent between tarts. When the tart is proper, it is a great experience. These are butter tarts made by hand with nothing artificial added, which is evident in every tart. While the butter tarts here are usually good, I think I got a bad batch this time. These were overbaked and lacked some filling, but I think this is just an exception, not the rule. The Pecan did not have these issues.
Homemade and handmade baking from the heart is what we do! We feature the highest quality bakery/café food items, specializing in artisan pies and desserts. Our products are made with the finest of ingredients, without additives, preservatives, pectins or colouring. Inspired by local products, we craft our goods with care and attention to detail, producing superb quality and freshness. Excellent customer service and outstanding customer satisfaction are at the core of all we do.
Beyond the Butter Tart:
During this visit, we purchased:
Sandwich: Grilled turkey & Pesto Sandwich.
Butter tarts: raisin and pecan.
Pies: Lime coconut, lemon raspberry buttermilk, sweet potato
Costs: Pies $15 for large / $7 for small.
There are many delightful treats at Williamsford Pie Company that are sure to tantalize your taste buds. Some of the items that keep us coming back are the brownies, scones, and squares. Their savoury meat and vegetable pies make a nice meal.
Discover more great bakeries in our Butter Tart Quest
Dessert Day Trip
It is worth the 1 ½ drive up Highway 6 from our home in Guelph to Williamsford Pie Company just to get a pie for dessert. I love their sweet potato pies so much that I will take a road trip all the way there just because I have a craving.
Tip: Take home a sweet potato pie, toss some marshmallows on top, and place it in the oven under the broiler. It is truly delightful.
If you are looking for a nice dessert for a family gathering or just something for tonight, stop by the Williamsford Pie Company and pick up something tasty. The sandwiches are very nice and made fresh to order. The Turkey pesto is a huge sandwich that is very filling. There is street parking, and Highway 6 is not busy, so there are plenty of places to park.
You will want to visit soon and support small businesses.
If you love a good Butter tart, you will want to listen to this Podcast.
*note: All butter tart reviews are our opinions only, based on our experiences and personal preferences. Your experiences and opinions may vary.
We would love to hear from you if you know of a great bakery making amazing butter tarts. Let us know about them so we can plan a future road trip to check them out and include them in our #ButterTartQuest.
Contact Roguetrippers with your suggestions.
