Shop like a fashion legend: Jeanne Beker’s travel guide to Warkworth, Ontario

Tucked in Northumberland County and surrounded by farmland and rolling hills, the village of Warkworth (population: right around 1,100) may be easy to miss. But one really shouldn’t. Just 90 minutes east of Toronto, the small Ontario town boasts picturesque golf courses, quaint heritage homes and a thriving arts community.

Jeanne Beker, legendary fashion journalist and host of “Style Matters” on TSC and the “Beyond Style Matters” podcast, now calls Warkworth home, having bought in the area in 2016. “I can’t tell you how wonderful this place is. We’re always going on long drives, and every season here is magical,” says Beker. “It’s a great community for artists, and pre-COVID there was a constant run of local shows.” Add the annual Warkworth Maple Syrup Festival and Warkworth Lilac Festival to your calendar for 2022, she recommends.

As a professional observer of fashion, Beker has naturally scouted all the best shops in the area. Here are a few not to be missed. (Both regional travel guidelines and access to specific places can change quickly; always check official updates before you go.)

For creative sweets: Centre & Main Chocolate Co. (50 Centre St., Warkworth)

This award-winning artisanal candy shop is owned by chocolatier Angela Roest, who flavours small-batch organic bars with ingredients from Northumberland County farmers. Don’t expect basic almond crunch: Roest infuses her sweets with blueberries, saffron and even beets. Beker’s favourite is the chocolate-covered ginger. “It’s off the map! She makes such unexpected combinations.”

For stylish kitchen wares: The Village Pantry (27 Main St., Warkworth)

Owned by Dutch-born Raquilda van Zoeren, this shop/café offers up gourmet goodies such as artisanal salami and smoky peach whisky sauce, as well as beautiful bowls, dishes and kitchen gizmos. “It’s a lovely place for gifts,” says Beker, whose finds have included quirky placemats: vintage-looking skiers and sleds for winter, and French-style cow illustrations for spring. “Last Christmas I bought a holiday-inspired apron and oven mitt, but they’re stylish enough to hang up in the kitchen year-round.”

For handcrafted candles: Cheeky Bee Candle Company (23 Main St., Warkworth)

Owners Perry Melzack and Amanda Gardner create 100 per cent beeswax candles — hand-poured, hand-dripped (and dipped) and hand-finished — which Beker picks up by the armload. The shop also includes one-of-a-kind crafts and original art, like a beautifully carved wooden rocking chair, gorgeous pottery and glass kaleidoscopes. “They have some incredible things,” says Beker. “It’s curated like a gallery and I can spend hours there.”

For whimsical pottery: Frantic Farms Clay & Glass & Gallery (2 Mill St., Warkworth)

Contrary to the name, there’s nothing frantic about this art studio and store, owned by potter Monica Johnston and glass artist Paulus Tjiang. Find contemplative pieces such as Johnston’s whimsical leaf-print teapots, Tjiang’s “yolk” whiskey glasses and clay animals by local sculptor Paul Portelli. Beker herself has a rabbit from Portelli and favours hand-painted cards by Cardboard Reality Farm & Studio.

For intricate cakes: Serendipitous Old Stuff (SOS) Lounge (161 Old Hastings Rd., Warkworth)

Pre-pandemic this local favourite, run by Justine Vikse, was a bustling bar and café. When in-store dining had to close, Vikse pivoted to her other passion: making intricately designed cakes. “Justine’s cakes are mind-blowing. I had her make one for my co-host. It was leopard print with an edible stiletto, strand of pearls and tube of lipstick,” says Beker. “You must order a cake from her; it’s a great excuse to come to Warkworth.”

For antique treasures: Authenticity Antiques & Folk Art (39 Main St., Warkworth)

“My partner and I are antique freaks, and we visit this beautiful shop for inspiration,” says Beker. Inside this well-stocked and edited store are textiles, china and silverware, and folk and fine art. Beker has found treasures like an antique quilt and an 1867 vintage print by Currier and Ives.

The Star understands the restrictions on travel during the coronavirus pandemic. But like you, we dream of travelling again, and we’re publishing this story with future trips in mind.