With the support of agricultural programming from Peterborough County, Chemong Lodge owner Adam Brown will be able to maintain his commitment to use local ingredients wherever possible.
Adam grew up in Selwyn Township near Chemong Lodge, where he has many cherished memories of celebrating birthdays and family events. When the opportunity came in 2021 for Adam and his wife Sara to purchase the historic Bridgenorth restaurant and events venue that overlooks Chemong Lake, they were thrilled to carry on its legacy.
Beloved by locals and visitors alike, Chemong Lodge serves a chef-driven menu with seasonal ingredients and an authentic smoked BBQ. Alongside hosting regular events, including a famous Sunday brunch buffet and Pub Night Thursdays, Chemong Lodge offers wedding and event services as well as full-service catering. The Brown family also host regular live music and special events including an Oyster & BBQ Fest, Margaritaville, Lobsterfest, and more.
Helmed by renowned trail-blazing Chef Gregory Couillard, Chemong Lodge grows its own herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, and other produce. For other ingredients, Chemong Lodge attends the weekly Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market and the Lakefield Farmers’ Market.
Adam says sourcing locally not only provides “quality assurance” by supplying the restaurant with fresh local ingredients, but it means Chemong Lodge is also supporting the same community that supports them.
“We’re creating relationships and having an economic impact locally by sourcing here and building relationships at the farmers’ markets on Wednesdays and Thursdays,” Adam says. “We want people to support independent operators like us and so, if we’re asking that of them, it’s appropriate that we’re doing the same. We’re leading with that by shopping local and putting the best local ingredients we can on a plate for our guests.”
Despite his commitment to source from local producers wherever possible, Adam admits doing so can be one of the most challenging parts of his job. He also recognizes it can be difficult for local farmers to connect with buyers like Chemong Lodge outside of farmers’ markets.
That’s why Peterborough County has partnered with the City of Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes on two economic development initiatives to grow local agriculture.
Kawartha Choice FarmFresh provides a brand identity for local producers, a network for members to share and access resources, and an online database to find local producers, while the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program aims to increase the capacity for local food distribution by connecting local food producers with wholesale buyers through the Green Circle Food Hub developed with Graze & Gather.
Adam is not only interested in becoming a member of the Kawartha Local Food Wholesale program, but he recently joined a discussion panel at Kollab in The Kawarthas, an interactive event organized by Peterborough County in April that focused on empowering tourism-based businesses, including many that benefit from using local ingredients.
“It was encouraging and a happy moment to see that, from a municipal level, there’s a real focus being put on hospitality and tourism,” Adam says. “The resources that Peterborough County is deploying are going to be not just beneficial to myself, but there will be dollars generated industry wide, all the way from farmers and producers to hoteliers and restaurants.”
Chemong Lodge is located at 764 Hunter Street in Bridgenorth. To learn more or book a reservation, visit www.chemonglodge.com.
The Local Advantage in Peterborough County is a branded editorial feature series celebrating the farmers, food producers, food retailers, and agri-tourism businesses that make The Kawarthas thrive, created in partnership with Peterborough County’s Economic Development & Tourism Division.
Agriculture is a key economic driver and a point of pride for Peterborough County, with local farms producing a wide variety of high-quality goods, from traditional crops and livestock to organic and specialty products, reflecting the strength and diversity of this vital sector. With a growing focus on sustainability, local food systems, agri-innovation, and agri-tourism, agriculture offers strong potential for growth and diversification.
The Local Advantage with Peterborough County series spotlights the Kawartha Choice FarmFresh and Kawartha Local Food Wholesale initiatives, which aim to strengthen connections from farm to table across our region.
For more information about economic development and tourism in Peterborough County, visit www.ptbocounty.ca/ecdev and The Kawarthas Tourism at thekawarthas.ca.
