Grahame's Bakery

I absolutely love Rick and his sister and their baking. Thank you for making Kemptville so delicious.
8 years ago (03-03-2018)

The best baked goods you will ever have, hands down. I drive down from Ottawa just to pick up donuts, apple fritters, and cinnamon buns. I can't get enough of them!
8 years ago (02-02-2018)

Founded: 1885 Owners: Rick Grahame and Debbie Wilson Survival strategy: Focusing on fresh products and quality ingredients Like his father and grandfather before him, Rick Grahame rises long before the birds to begin his day at his family-owned bakery in the Eastern Ontario town of Kemptville. At 2:30 in the morning, five days a week, Mr. Grahame heads to the annex at the back of his house and fires up the massive wood-burning brick oven that has been in use at that location since 1885. His sister and co-owner, Debbie Wilson, often joins him a few hours later to help provide doughnuts, bread and other baked goods for local restaurants and retail customers. There has been a bakery operating at 115 Clothier St. E. since Alphaeus Patterson started it more than 130 years ago. The shop has been in the Grahame family since 1960 when Rick's grandfather, Leonard, bought it after working there for 21 years. Grahame's Bakery is one of those businesses that give a small town its character, having defied the challenges of modern consumer preferences and competition from chains like Tim Hortons. The bakery itself is a rear addition tucked behind a clapboard house on one of the town's main streets; a small pennant hung like a flag indicates its presence. It accepts cash or cheque only. Named to the Canadian registry of historic places, Grahame's is one of the last bakeries in Canada to use a wood-fired brick oven – a mammoth devourer of softwood that takes two hours to heat up and is responsible for the heritage designation. Generations of parents have made the bakery a regular stop before or after early morning hockey practices – Grahame's cake doughnuts are locally famous. Long-time residents remember being served by Rick's grandfather, and his father and mother, Ken and Rose. But it's a tough grind. Mr. Grahame, 52, inherited the shop when his father died in 2005. He starts his day at 2:30 and doesn't finish until 5:30 p.m, usually catching a power nap at noon. Ms. Wilson, 58, puts in three long days each week, while family members pitch in during busy times. And both siblings – who had careers elsewhere before returning to the bakery – have spouses who bring in the lion's share of the family income. "There's not a lot of wages being taken out – it's more you're making a living and you're a service to the community," Mr. Grahame said. "There's a lot of satisfaction from customer service and dealing with the public, and seeing the younger people grow up and having families." His keys to success: Ensuring the best quality, freshest product, and not pricing yourself out of business while keeping ahead of rising costs.
8 years ago (20-01-2018)

Owner and family are super nice. Cinnamon buns are to die for. Nice and fresh and not overly sweet. Yum!
8 years ago (28-10-2017)

Not too sweet and not too expensive, good variety of delicious woodfired baking in a family run place: this is the way bakeries are meant to be! Such a rarity now days to find a place like Grahame's! A must stop if you are in the area
8 years ago (06-11-2017)