Embark on a delicious journey this fall by attending Destination Northern Ontario's Culinary and Agritourism Best Practices Mission.

Trip Details

Dates: Monday, October 6th, 2025 – Wednesday, October 8th, 2025.

Please note that we will be providing you with a hotel room in Sudbury, ON, on Sunday, October 5th to make our 7am departure time on Monday a little easier.

Transportation: Throughout the trip we will be travelling on a luxury mini-coach bus. The bus will depart from Sudbury, ON, at 7am on October 6th and return by 8pm on October 8th.

Accommodation: On October 6th and 7th, we will be staying at the Elm Hurst Inn & Spa. It is a boutique hotel that combines historic charm and scenic beauty. What makes Elm Hurst Inn & Spa special is that it was originally established as the James Harris Cheese factory in 1865. This makes it a perfect place for a group of culinary tourists to stay!

Cost: The cost is $500 per participant. This cost has been subsidized by Destination Northern Ontario and grant funding. The participant fee covers all accommodations on October 5th, 6th and 7th and transportation, meals and planned activities on October 6th, 7th and 8th. The only costs that are not covered on this trip are alcoholic beverage purchases, discretionary spending and any costs associated with travel to the pickup and drop off location in Sudbury,ON.

Who Should Attend: This Best Practice Mission is designed for Northern Ontario tourism marketers, destination developers and business operators along the food tourism value chain (e.g. restaurants, growers and producers, farmers' markets, retailers, accommodations) who want to further develop culinary and agritourism in their business and/or community.

Farm experiences

Get a taste of farm life at Udderly Ridiculous. During our visit you'll get a tour of the farm and learn about farm life through guided walks and activities. You'll get to train goats, hang out with chickens and alpacas and even taste their goat milk ice cream!

Thames River Melons is a family owned and operated fruit and vegetable farm. They offer a pick-your-own patch, on-farm market and farm kitchen.

We will visit Gunn's Hill Artisan Cheese where you'll have the opportunity to go on a tour of their cheese production facility.

Hands-on experiences

Early Bird Coffee offers a special coffee roasting lab experience where you'll have the opportunity to help roast your own coffee beans as well as learn how the origins of coffee beans and the roasting process can influence the flavour profiles of coffee.

Ottercreek Woodworks has developed an award-winning Tree to Table tourism experience. Woodworker David Schonberger will share how he developed his experience which includes guided forest walks and building live-edge charcuterie boards.

Dining experiences

Borealis Grille & Bar, a Feast On ® restaurant that prides itself on being obsessively local. During your visit you'll hear about the restaurant's philosophy of using business as a force for good.

SixThirtyNine, a Feast On ® restaurant that offers ever changing, locally sourced, seasonal menus. They've also developed a successful chef's table experience.

Learning from tourism experts

• Meredith Maywood, Tourism Specialist, Tourism Oxford
• Joanne Wolnick, Executive Director, Ontario's Southwest (RTO1)

Best Practices Mission Hosts

The Best Practices Mission is an initiative supported by Destination Northern Ontario, Tourism Excellence North, Federal Economic Development Agency of Northern Ontario and the Culinary Tourism Alliance.

The Best Practices Mission will be guided by the Culinary Tourism Alliance, a national not-for-profit organization that supports the creation of food and drink experiences that celebrate the history, heritage, and culture of destinations. The Culinary Tourism Alliance team will share their insights and expertise on the best practices to develop culinary and agritourism.

Registration

Space is limited to 12 participants. Participants will be required to fill out a short application form.

For any questions regarding this Best Practices Mission, please contact Rebecca Gordon, rgordon@culinaryalliance.com