This past Sunday, I was treating myself to my favourite weekend breakfast treat: toast with jam. And, I figured I should tell you about it. Maybe show it off a little bit. Because, you know, this isn’t any ordinary toast and jam. The toast is Turmeric Sourdough from Old Church Bakery. And the jam is from Grunthal Berries! Look how beautiful:
I buy my bread and my jam from the same place: Old Church Bakery. I’d been frequenting OCB ever since it opened in Steinbach, but my fandom of Grunthal Berries goes back even further.
I’ve lost track of how many years I’ve been going to Grunthal Berry Farm to pick my own strawberries. I’ve convinced a varying selection of people to join me over the years. I remember the time that my friend Lauren joined me for strawberry picking. As we were paying for our berries and about to leave, Colleen, the farmer of Grunthal Berries, suggested that we might want to head to the Grunthal Bakery to pick up some delicious bread. I think it was 88-cent bread day or something. Colleen could probably persuade me to do anything. It sounded good to me!
At the time, Andrew and I owned a Mini Cooper. There aren’t many people in our region who drive Minis, so it was kind of nice in that I always knew which car was mine in a parking lot. Stuff like that. But on this day, driving the Mini Cooper was…not optimal.
Disheveled and happy, Lauren and I climbed into the car, and headed into town in the direction of the bakery. As we drove the Mini down Main Street Grunthal, we realized the townsfolk were lining the street on both sides, sitting in their lawnchairs, nibbling their knackzoat, and watching us expectantly. We were mystified by this phenomenon for a split second, before it hit us:
IT WAS PARADE DAY.
And, the parade was just about to begin. And, in the Mini Cooper, it must have looked like we were part of the parade!
Lauren rolled down the window and waved with abandon, while I sunk low in the driver’s seat. We still laugh about that day. But I also vowed to ensure I never again venture into Grunthal on parade day whilst driving an unusual vehicle.
Anyway, what I was intending to write in this post was why I love Grunthal Berries. I love going to Colleen’s farm, maybe because it reminds me of my girlhood, going berry picking with my mom and grandma. But also, Colleen is one of my favourite people, and the berries she grows on her farm are very delicious and sweet. This past winter there was not enough snow, and it impacted her crop, so there was not much picking…but I’m happy to still be able to find Grunthal Berries artisanal strawberry spread at Old Church Bakery!