Kawartha Localist is a new editorial series from kawarthaNOW sharing trusted local recommendations, hidden gems, and favourite discoveries from people who know and love this region. It’s what we love about where we live.
Whether you’re looking to cool down during a heat wave or taking the family out for a special treat, it’s always time for ice cream — and the Kawarthas is home to some of the best ice cream in Canada!
Whether you prefer traditional ice cream, gelato, sorbet or sherbet, or frozen yogurt, there’s a parlour waiting for you in the Kawarthas. From spots on the way to the cottage or accessible by boat, to those with the most innovative flavours — including vegan and sugar-free treats — these spots will have you screaming for ice cream.
Made-in-the-Kawarthas ice cream at Central Smith in Selwyn, Canada’s oldest independent dairy
Selwyn Township is home to Central Smith Creamery, which was founded in 1896 as a farmers’ co-op producing cheese and butter and, in 1952, began exclusively producing the premium ice cream we know and love today. The Scates family has owned the business since 1978, with second-generation owners Ian and Jenn now at the helm.
Beneath its iconic red roof, the creamery and seasonal outdoor parlour draws hundreds of locals and cottagers for scoops, milkshakes, frozen yogurt, banana splits, sundaes, and take-home containers every day. With a rotating selection and 36 different flavours being scooped daily — including vegan and sugar-free alternatives — there’s something for everyone.
Recently introduced flavours this summer include the all-new Strawberry Matcha (green tea matcha swirled together with strawberry ice cream) and the reimagined and relaunched Milk Chocolate Caramel Rollover (formerly Chocolate Caramel Cup, with milk chocolate ice cream with an English toffee ripple and chocolate-filled caramel cups).
Other popular flavours scooped at Central Smith include the exclusive Algonquin Canoe (French vanilla ice cream with a hint of maple, chocolate ripple, and chocolate maple canoes), Lavender Lemonade (tangy sweet lemon with ripples of lavender), and Monster Cookie (vibrant blue ice cream with heaps of Oreo and cookie dough pieces).
You can’t buy Central Smith ice cream in grocery stores! It’s only available at the creamery (you can also order various sizes of tubs online for curbside pickup) and by the scoop at restaurants and ice cream shacks across Canada through Central Smith’s distribution network.
A few of the many local places that serve Central Smith ice cream include Sullivan’s General Store in Ennismore, Mariloo’s Ice Cream Store in Buckhorn, The Water Lily & Lockside Guest Suite in Hastings, and Reclaimed Garden Co. in Burleigh Falls (see below).
Central Smith Creamery is located at 739 Lindsay Road in Selwyn. To learn more and for online orders, visit www.centralsmith.ca.
Head by car or boat to Reclaimed Garden Co. in Burleigh Falls for a scoop of Central Smith
With its convenient location on Highway 28 between Lovesick and Stony Lakes, the new ice cream shack at Reclaimed Garden Co. in Burleigh Falls is a pitstop both for drivers on the way to the cottage and boaters travelling along the Trent-Severn Waterway.
In 2025, owner Jackie Briggs elevated the decor and gift store with her dream of opening a seasonal ice cream shop. With 12 rotating flavours from Central Smith being scooped daily, the classic favourites are always available, as well as sugar-free ice creams and vegan and non-dairy sorbets.
This season, Briggs has given the shack a fresh paint job and expanded the daily menu to include milkshakes and Polar Joe protein-based cold brew coffee.
Reclaimed Garden Co. is located at 4791 Highway 28 right beside Burleigh Falls Inn. For more information, follow Reclaimed Garden Co. on Facebook and Instagram.
Don’t miss out on the limited edition The Tragically Chip ice cream from Kawartha Dairy
Kawartha Dairy is a brand that has become synonymous with Ontario cottage country, but did you know it all began in Bobcaygeon?
In 1937, Jack and Ila Crowe began Kawartha Dairy in a three-room building where the cold storage area was cooled with ice cut from the lake. It wasn’t until the mid-1950s when Jack learned to produce the famous and beloved ice cream that is now scooped in a wide selection of iconic flavours at parlours across Canada.
Today, Kawartha Dairy’s fresh milk and cream comes through the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, a cooperative owned by Ontario’s daily farmers, with almost 90 per cent coming from farms located within 100 kilometres from the company’s Bobcaygeon facility.
Along with Bobcaygeon, other Kawartha Dairy outlets across the Kawarthas include Bancroft, Peterborough, Cobourg, Lindsay, and Minden, while a range of local restaurants and shops scoop Kawartha Dairy on a daily basis.
Among many others, these include Bigley’s Sweet Treats in Bobcaygeon, Steamers Café at Young’s Point’s Lockside Trading Co., the Enniskillen General Store in Peterborough, Great Outdoors Landing in Bridgenorth, Shantilly’s Place on Chandos Lake, the Silver Bean Café in Peterborough, and The Harbour Town General Store in Douro-Dummer.
This year, ice cream lovers are flocking to try The Tragically Chip. Made in collaboration with iconic rock band The Tragically Hip, the limited-edition ice cream consists of a maple whisky-flavoured ice cream packed with dark chocolatey chunks and a rich black cherry ripple.
Of course, you can also always find a wide range of popular Kawartha Dairy flavours — Moose Tracks, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Death by Chocolate, Salty Caramel Truffle, and Raspberry Lemon-Lime Sherbet are some of our faves — at local grocery stores.
To learn more, including where to buy Kawartha Dairy products, and to shop online, visit kawarthadairy.com.
Savour handcrafted gelato at Canoe Co. Café in downtown Peterborough
It’s not just the facials, manicures, and massages that make Euphoria Wellness Spa a space of rest and relaxation in downtown Peterborough. Inside, you’ll also find Canoe Co. Café, a cozy café serving Starbucks beverages and Ontario-made gelato — the Italian version of ice cream that has a denser and creamier texture with a more intense flavour.
Named in homage to the building’s former home of the Peterborough Canoe Company (founded in 1892 and home to wooden canoe manufacturing until 1961), Canoe Co. Café scoops gelato from Mio Gelato, a well-known and well-loved hotspot in Kingston that handcrafts authentic Italian gelato on the premises and always has line-ups out the door.
At Canoe Co. Café about 15 flavours are on rotation at any given time, with vegan dairy-free options always available for those with dietary restrictions. Customer favourites include Cookies ‘N’ Cream, Stacciatella, as well as mango and strawberry sorbettos (the smoother and less icy Italian cousin of sorbet).
In a new addition to the café, you can deck out your gelato even more by decorating it with a selection of flavourful toppings including gummies, marshmallows, Smarties, and more.
You can also pair your sweet treat with a Starbucks drink or a baked good and enjoy the intimate space that is ideal for a business meeting or catching up with a friend. Looking to take your gelato on the go? Order it through the walk-up window located off Water Street.
Canoe Co. Café is located inside Euphoria Wellness Spa at 290 Water Street in Peterborough. To learn more, visit canoecocafe.com.
Visit an Instagrammable froyo shop at Violet’s Frozen Yogurt in Kinmount
In Kinmount, you’ll find an Instagram-worthy destination for finding sweet treats that fit a range of dietary restrictions and health kicks. It’ll be hard to walk past the welcoming, bright purple storefront of Violet’s Frozen Yogurt without stopping in for a treat!
After spending a few years in Toronto, Burnt River native Toshia Violet Bacon found herself returning to the quiet of Kawartha Lakes where she eventually launched the family-run froyo business with the help of her mother Brenda Lee Swinson in 2021.
After two years in operation, what began as a food truck turned into a stationary storefront open six days per week from Thursday through Tuesday throughout the summer. You’ll still find the food truck around the region, attending local festivals, fairs, and even the occasional wedding.
Each order at Violet’s Frozen Yogurt is freshly swirled using Ontario-made frozen yogurt with unique and locally sourced flavours and toppings you can’t find anywhere else. From a rose pistachio and a lemon-flavoured froyo topped with a freeze-dried lemon to a strawberry cheesecake that’s topped with real cream cheese and crushed up graham crackers, you’ll find some truly innovative tastes at Violet’s.
Bacon tells kawarthaNOW she’s always eager to hear from customers for tips and suggestions on flavours and unique combos they want to see on the menu.
Wanting to be inclusive to dietary restrictions, Violet’s also serves vegan ice cream, sorbet, and low-sugar blended fruit mix. Tea and iced or hot coffee and smoothies are also on the menu and can be enjoyed under the umbrella-donned picnic tables. Note that Violet’s Frozen Yogurt is cash only.
Violet’s Frozen Yogurt is located at 4092 Kawartha Lakes County Rd. 121 in Kinmount. For more information, follow Violet’s Frozen Yogurt on Facebook.
Enjoy homemade gelato and authentic affogato at Mercury Chocolates and Gelateria in Cobourg
You don’t have to travel all the way to Italy to find authentic gelato — you can find it hand-spun at Mercury Chocolates & Gelateria in Cobourg
Red Seal Chef Darren Johns brings almost 30 years of experience in award-winning establishments across Western Canada. Though he has travelled extensively, including taking regular trips to Italy, he established Mercury Chocolates & Gelateria in 2007 to produce handcrafted chocolate, before also making gelati beginning in 2012. As a serial entrepreneur, Johns also runs Tuscany Food and Wine Tours and Soprano Pasta Co., where he handcrafts pasta to supply to several restaurants.
From the chocolates and gelati to pasta, everything at Mercury Chocolates and Gelateria is made from scratch. With about 20 unique flavours, the shop is scooping gelato year-round with six rotating flavours on offer including some dairy-free sorbetto.
Not to be missed are classic flavours include cioccolato (chocolate), stracciatella, and hazelnut, as well as authentic affogato (an Italian dessert consisting of a scoop of gelato topped with espresso).
Mercury Chocolates & Gelateria is located at 53 Albert St. in Cobourg. To learn more, visit mercurychocolates.com.
Froyo at The Little Frozen Yogurt Company in Douro — with a round of mini golf coming soon
Long trips to and from the cottage aren’t so bad when you can take a pitstop on Highway 28 in Douro for sweet treats — and soon a family-friendly activity as well.
Opened in 2021, The Little Frozen Yogurt Company serves summery treats out of a walk-up window in a bold blue building. Make the freshly swirled froyo your own by selecting your favourite fruity flavours. Banana, pineapple, mango, mixed berry, blueberry, peach, cherry, and raspberry always available, with a rotating selection of other fruits also available.
You can customize your fruit in any way you want, then top it up with sprinkles and cookie crumbs to your liking. With The Little Frozen Yogurt Company’s new loyalty program, there’s no such thing as too much froyo: buy 10 and get one free!
If you also enjoy your froyo in the cooler months, drop in during the fall when you can try out an innovative pumpkin spice froyo.
Prefer something else? The Little Frozen Yogurt Company additionally serves a rotating selection of Kawartha Dairy ice cream, with 14 different flavours always available, as well as plant-based and vegan ice cream from small-batch Meaford producer Pom Pom. New on the menu, the company is selling ice cream sandwiches (including a gluten-free selection) made locally by Peterborough’s Hard Winter Bakery using Kawartha Dairy ice cream.
If your sweet tooth still isn’t satisfied, the Little Frozen Yogurt Company also stocks mixed candy bags from Couture Candy, along with chips, dog treats, and drinks including non-alcoholic sparkling water from City Seltzer.
To give you even more reason to take a break from you road trip, the Little Frozen Yogurt Company will be unveiling The Little Mini Golf Co. in August. The 18-hole miniature golf course is inspired by Canada’s rivers, bridges, and local landmarks — including a Lift Lock!
The Little Frozen Yogurt Company is located at 17 Indacom Drive in Douro, at the corner of Highway 28 and County Road 4. For more information, visit thelittlefrozenyogurtcompany.ca.
Kawartha Localist is a new editorial series from kawarthaNOW celebrating the places, experiences, businesses, and communities that make our region extraordinary. Written by people who live here, work here, and have spent nearly 30 years exploring the Kawarthas and surrounding region, each edition shares trusted local recommendations, hidden gems, and favourite discoveries from across Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.
Whether you’re looking for your next hiking trail, favourite patio, scenic drive, farmers’ market, or weekend adventure, Kawartha Localist is what we love about where we live.
