“Unexcelled Humbugs” And More Wrap Up Frontenac Farmers Market

Dec 18, 2013

In what was one of their busiest market days of the year, vendors at the Frontenac Farmers Market in Verona tended to a steady stream of holiday shoppers eager to acquire a wide array of locally produced bounty. Shoppers strolled the 18 booths manned by regular and guest market vendors, who offered up their usual impressive selection of jarred and preserved comestibles, fresh bakes goodies, local meats, winter produce and more. This year’s guest vendors made it especially easy to find unique, locally made stocking stuffers with a selection of items that included home-made treats for the pets courtesy of Kasey’s Cookies; honey and beeswax candles from Beekeeper’s Gardens; colourful wool and assorted knitwear from Gina’s Warm and Woolies; assorted metal art from Orna-Metal; a wide selection of children’s and young adult books from Usborne Books; and crocheted Christmas ornaments from Rebecca’s Angels and Snowflakes.

Also on hand was Honey Bryant of Godfrey, who along with her father Gerald and other family members have been producing “Unexcelled Humbugs and other hard candies” at their Godfrey home in the old traditional style for over four generations. I spoke with Honey at her market booth, where she was a offering up the full selection of her family’s holiday sweets and goodies, which included huge candy canes, (her mom turns all the candy cane tops by hand), humbugs (a traditional blend of peppermint and caramel), spearmints, peppermints, plus cinnamon, clove, hoarhound, black licorice and fruit candies along with peanut crunch and peanut brittle. The family’s candy manufacturing business has a 150-year-old history, and Honey Bryant filled me in on it at her booth. “Bell Candy” relies solely on traditional recipes and candy-making tools. Gerald learned the business from his grandfather years ago and Honey explained that the family still uses hand-pressed brass cranks that are close to 200 years old to produce the candy. “All of our candies are hand made and because we are using the same 150-year-old recipes, our candies contain very few (only four or five) ingredients. We use only real sugars and natural flavours.”

Their hoarhound lozenges, which are stocked in area health food stores are made using the herb hoarhound, an ingredient that is also used in Buckley’s cough syrup. Their clove candies are lovely and I hear the humbugs are to die for too.

Debbie Harris, treasurer of the FFM, was pleased with the turnout and said the market will be opening up again next year at the beginning of May for its 10th year. Harris said that the market closes in the winter months since new regulations require that the majority of vendors be farmers, and it is difficult to find farmers to participate in the winter.

Harris said that there are big changes coming up for the market, which will also be setting up on Fridays in Harrowsmith next year. Harris said that hundreds of shoppers passed through for the market’s last official day.