The Tart Shack

Occasionally (very occasionally) you might be driving down a country road, minding your own business when a roadside stand at the end of a driveway catches your attention with just five cut-out letters - T.A.R.T.S.

Just west of Belgrave on Belgrave Road, sits the adorable Tart Shack, brainchild and weekend business of Kerri Coxon. When the pandemic struck, Coxon’s family lost one of their favourite weekend pastimes. They loved to travel the area to different bakeries on a Saturday morning to pick up pastries and goodies, from Bayfield to Goderich and beyond. Once the lockdowns hindered these sweet adventures, she decided to start baking at home. Eventually her husband Andy was so impressed with her creations, he suggested that she should sell them. He helped her get the building ready and she researched the necessary bureaucracy like Health Unit approvals, etc. Finally, in late spring of 2021 she put out her first batches of tarts and hasn’t looked back.

The best thing about being her own boss is the flexibility. She opens most Saturdays from 9 am and typically sells out by 2 pm, but occasionally life gets in the way and she has family obligations so recommends following her Facebook page for exact hours.

She specializes in a variety of butter tarts and danishes, and has added mini cheesecakes, cookies and occasionally muffins and cupcakes to the menu.

She begins by making the dough and fillings on Friday. All of the dough and fillings are made from scratch, and whenever possible the fillings are made from ingredients grown right on the farm, like strawberries and rhubarb, making the menu very seasonal. Baking begins by 5 am on Saturday and by 9 am she is ready for the first customers.

With a little extra space in the shack, Coxon invited her cousin Wanda to display crafts from her business Lee's Cabin. The handmade gift and greeting cards, paintings, barn quilts, coaster and doggie bibs are a beautiful addition to the space and give customers an added distraction if there is a line up.

While the pecan butter tarts are always the first to sell out, Coxon says the mini New York-style cheesecakes with homemade toppings are her favourite. 38557 Belgrave Road, Wingham