Great Canadian Food Tour- St. Lawrence Market + The Distillery
Description
William co-created this Culinary Experience — the stops, the pacing, the order in which each story lands. He didn't inherit a script. Nobody else could hand you this exact afternoon, except maybe his boss, Jusep, his backup. We're not new to these blocks. Jusep's been guiding Toronto since 2017. William's guided since 2019 — he led this tour's first chapter, then rebuilt it from the ground up for its new era in St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District. Every kitchen on this route knows him by name. Storytelling, not a checklist. Over an unhurried couple of hours, we tell you how peameal bacon became a Toronto original, why a Distillery pizza claims to be Canada's own invention, and what finally settles a butter tart argument. Generous, never garnish. Small groups, capped at 14, and tastings that add up to a full meal. First on National Geographic's list of the world's top 10 food markets — you're tasting Canada where National Geographic said to start.
Tour Options
Itinerary
A national historic site and one of Toronto's proudest transformations: once the Victorian-era Gooderham & Worts distillery, today a pedestrian-only village of cobblestone lanes, galleries, and artisan kitchens — often called the largest collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America. This is where our walk begins, at Sweetie Pie Bakery on Tank House Lane. Over our hour here, recent tastings have included two savoury bites, a signature alcohol-free cocktail, and a sweet treat worth saving room for. Between tastings, your Culinary Storyteller tells the story the buildings can't: how whisky built this corner of the city, why it fell silent, and how food brought it back to life. Cameras welcome — the lanes photograph beautifully in every season.
Two hundred years of feeding Toronto, 120+ vendors under one roof — and first on National Geographic's list of the world's top 10 food markets, ahead of London's Borough Market. St. Lawrence Market is not a tourist attraction that sells food; it is a working market that became an attraction by being excellent for two centuries. Our hour here moves stall to stall the way regulars shop: recent tastings have included a peameal bacon sandwich — the market's signature — fresh seafood, and a second sweet treat to finish. Your Culinary Storyteller knows the families behind the counters, which is the difference between eating at the market and being introduced to it. The tour ends here, in the middle of the market — on purpose. Guests regularly stay to shop, armed with our shortlist of what to carry home. One walk barely scratches the surface of how Toronto eats.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Our friends cook their family recipes as they always have, so we can't accommodate gluten, dairy, or nut allergies, and we don't offer a vegan option. Vegetarian and pescatarian versions are available — just tell us when you book.
Reviews(135)
This was a great way to see the distillery and market and try some authentic Canadian food. William is a terrific guide.
This was such an amazing insightful tour. Loved every bite of it! Our tour guide was great and shared such interesting information.
I did a solo tour with Jusep the owner and it was awesome. He was very friendly and knowledgeable and he obviously took a lot of pride in paying attention to the little details. Would recommend and I'm planning to book another tour with this company.
This was a great food tour! Our guide, William, was knowledgeable and engaging throughout the tour. He shared the interesting history of both the Canadian food and the old city. He was also attentive to the needs of various group members. The food was all wonderful and the portions were generous. We left full and headed back to our hotel to rest after! I'm rating this tour 4 stars due to a couple critiques on the second half of the tour. Once we arrived at the St. Lawrence Market, there was no opportunity to sit down which became tiring especially after the 15 minute walk from the Distillery District. No beverages were offered during the market portion of the tour either. I had to leave the tour briefly to purchase my own bottled water.
Thank you, Rachel, for the thoughtful review. We’re really glad you enjoyed William’s guiding, the history, and the food — and that you left full! We hear you on the second half of the tour. St. Lawrence Market is an active working market (National Geographic’s #1 food market in the world), and we arrive right in the middle of the lunch rush, so seating is limited and the atmosphere is lively and standing-friendly by nature. It’s very different from the Distillery District portion earlier in the tour. We choose to bring guests there precisely because of that energy and reputation — the busyness is part of what makes it special, even if it means standing is more common than sitting during peak hours. We also note in the tour description, confirmation email, and day-before reminder that this is a walking food tour (roughly 1.2 km over 2.5 hours, with about 1.5 hours on your feet) and recommend bringing a water bottle, as we only offer drink tastings in the first half. We appreciate the feedback and hope the overall experience still felt worthwhile. Thanks again for joining us — we’d love to welcome you back on another food adventure.
So much good food! My boys 12 and 9 had a great time. Great way to explore the area. Our guide William was fantastic!
Thank you, Lacy! Nothing makes us happier than hearing the boys had a great time too — William has a real gift for keeping tours fun for all ages while still packing in the good stuff. So glad you all enjoyed exploring St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery with us. Bienvenue. Welcome home.
This was truly a fun day. Living just outside the city, it was fun getting to be a tourist and eat yummy food. The history lessons paired with the food was great. Learning which food were invented in canada (London Fog, Butter Tart, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Pinapple on Pizza, and Nanimo bars) and tasting some of the locations that excel at making it. Truly a wonderful day with delicious food.
Here's a reply for Nancy_C's review (Great Canadian Food Tour — William's tour, not the Express): Thank you, Nancy! Locals discovering their own city is exactly the reaction we hope for. So glad William's history lessons — Canada Dry, the Nanaimo bar, the butter tart, and yes, pineapple on pizza — landed as well as the food did. Bienvenue. Welcome home.
William was Great from the moment we met him, He was excellent in explaining all the points along the way. All of the food was amazing and lots of it, It was very nice to get a sample of some of the Canadian popular dishes! William was an excellent guide and was great in answering any question we had. We would highly recommend this tour if you are in Toronto.
Thank you for the kind words and recommendation! We're so glad William's stories and knowledge stood out, and that you got to sample those popular Canadian dishes at St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery. We'll pass this along to him. Hope to welcome you back soon. Bienvenue. Welcome home.
William was such a wonderful host—so knowledgeable and really passionate about the food, but also the history of Toronto, especially the distillery district and St. Lawrence Market. Come hungry because there is so much food to eat!
Thank you so much for this wonderful review — and yes, come hungry is the right advice! William brings such heart to the Great Canadian Food Tour, and it means a lot to hear his passion for both the food and Toronto's history came through so clearly at St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to him. We hope to welcome you back again soon. Bienvenue. Welcome home.
AMAZING food and history tour with the wonderful William!! Seriously… This was so much more than a few tasty bites. William led us through the Distillery District and St. Lawrence Market to taste the best bites of Canada. His personable tour was absolutely delicious and threaded throughout with historical tidbits. We left with full tummies and warm hearts. Thank you William for this incredibly special day with my teenage son, who didn’t seem to mind a bit that he wasn’t in front of a screen! Priceless family time. ❤️
Melissa, this one got me — a teenage son off his screen for an afternoon is about the highest compliment a tour can get. William has a gift for making that kind of family time feel effortless. Bienvenue. Welcome home.
My sister and booked this activity as first time visitors to Toronto and this was an excellent way to learn about the various neighborhoods and the history of the city while sampling great food options. Michael was our host - he was very knowledgable but best of all he had a great sense of humor and was entertaining. He allowed us enough time at the food stops which included sampling - poutine, a London fog, Hawaiian Pizza, Canada Dry, a Butter tart - as well as several other s- but did not dawdle so you were were able to stay totally engages the entire time. I have been on many food tours and this one one of the best.
Candace, so glad "William" brought that mix of humor and history to your first visit to Toronto — that balance is exactly what we look for in a guide. Thank you for such a generous review. Bienvenue. Welcome home.
