Doo Doo’s Bakery takes top prize at this year’s Bowmanville Butter Tart Festival
Published May 4, 2023 at 11:49 am
With both rinks in use, more than 80 vendors selling ooey-gooey butter tarts of all varieties and plenty of non-sweet tooth products as well, the Bowmanville Butter Tart Festival – officially the Gotta Luv Butter Tarts Butter Tarts and More Market – was a big success.
The Bowmanville event officially kicked off the butter tart festival season – the Pickering event is scheduled for September – and there was a steady stream of lovers of Canada’s quintessential sweet treat into Garnet Rickard Recreation Complex all day Saturday.
Doo Doo’s Bakery out of Bailiboro (on Rice Lake, north of Port Hope) – always a fan favourite was named Best Overall, while Ten of Tarts (Shelburne) took the Best Crust title, a year after winning for Best Filling, which went this year to The Kings Daughters. Ace of Tarts was honoured for Best Presentation, with the judging panel including Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster.
Bruno’s Bakery (Innisfil) and Omi’s Sweets n Treats (Toronto) were awarded Honourable Mentions.
Criminally not making the final list was Carla’s Cookie Box, which makes a Peanut Butter and Chocolate tart to die for, and Better Tarts, a regular at the Clarington Farmer’s Market in Newcastle, that made a classic raisin butter tart that took top honours in this writer’s mind.
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About a dozen or so vendors at the festival were devoted to the iconic butter tart and there were other food vendors – Holy Cannoli does a booming business every year – as well as vendors selling crafts, clothing and maple syrup, among other products.
The Bowmanville event was put on by Gotta Luv Butter Tarts and ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 29.
Admission was free but donations of non-perishable foods for the Clarington East Food Bank were welcomed.
