Tour operator
Great Lakes Schooner Company
A Toronto cruise company operating since 1991, best known for public sails on the Kajama, a three-masted schooner built in Germany in 1930, from the downtown…
The Culinary Adventure Co.
A family-owned Toronto food tour company running small-group tastings since 2011, best known for its St. Lawrence Market tours with peameal bacon, cheeses and smoked salmon.
At a glance
- Type
- Food tour
- Area
- St. Lawrence, Toronto, Canada
- Official site
- culinaryadventureco.com
Good to know
- Small groups
- Morning and afternoon tours
- Private tours
- Gift certificates
Why we recommend it
The Culinary Adventure Co. is an independent, family-owned food tour company that has been operating in Toronto since 2011. Its team includes restaurant owners, chefs, cooks and people from food and travel media, and it runs walking food tours in several of the city's best-known food neighbourhoods.
The flagship is the St. Lawrence Market Food Tour, a 2.5-hour walk that starts at 11am and includes more than 15 tastings and treats. Stops take in Toronto's peameal bacon sandwich, Atlantic smoked salmon, artisan cheeses and charcuterie, Portuguese tarts and seasonal berries, with groups limited to 12 guests or fewer. For a more exclusive experience, the VIP Early Access tour of the market begins at 8:45am with a maximum of six guests. It runs for two hours and adds East Coast oysters with Canadian caviar, Arctic char, Niagara ice wine and a tutored tasting of six cheeses chosen by the company's Big Cheese, Kevin Durkee, with a morning drink waiting on arrival.
Other tours include the Made in Canada tour on Friday and Sunday afternoons, with maple syrup, Quebec-style poutine and Canadian cheeses, a Chinatown and Kensington Market food tour, a King West and Entertainment District brunch tour, and tours of Roncesvalles Village and Little India on Gerrard Street East. There is also a Michelin dinner tour, a holiday tour and private and group options.
The market tours meet on the pavement at the south-west corner of Front Street East and Market Street, outside the LCBO wine shop. By transit, take the 504 King streetcar east from downtown to the Jarvis Street stop. Tours run in rain, snow or shine, and some small stops can involve a short wait or eating standing up.
The company can accommodate severe allergies such as nuts and shellfish, vegetarians and guests who do not drink alcohol, provided you note this when booking. It cannot make substitutions for gluten-free, coeliac, dairy-free or vegan diets, so those guests should check before buying. The company frames its tours around meeting the purveyors and hearing their stories, and guests leave with tips to use in their own kitchens. The Made in Canada tour lasts two hours, starts at 2pm and includes more than ten tastings, among them smoked salmon with gravlax, while the Produce and Purveyors tour is a VIP tutored tasting of St. Lawrence Market. Gift certificates are available.
The tours suit first-time visitors, food lovers and couples. Book online, and contact the team by text message through WhatsApp.
The Culinary Adventure Co. FAQs
How long is the St. Lawrence Market tour?
2.5 hours, starting at 11am.
Where do tours meet?
At the south-west corner of Front Street East and Market Street, outside the LCBO.
How big are the groups?
12 guests or fewer, and a maximum of six on the VIP Early Access tour.
What do you taste?
Items such as the peameal bacon sandwich, smoked salmon, artisan cheeses, charcuterie and Portuguese tarts.
Can dietary needs be accommodated?
Severe allergies, vegetarians and non-drinkers can be accommodated if noted at booking; gluten-free, coeliac, dairy-free and vegan substitutions are not possible.
Do tours run in bad weather?
Yes. Tours run in rain, snow or shine.
Which other neighbourhoods are covered?
Chinatown and Kensington Market, King West, Roncesvalles Village and Little India.
How long has the company operated?
Since 2011.