Guelph's Boathouse Tea Room was at one time owned by Edward Johnson and was the site of a canoe club and big band dances. Five years ago, Teppo oversaw the transformation from its decayed state as home to the Sea Cadets to the graceful grey and pink trimmed building perched on the banks of the Speed River. Heading into its fourth summer, present owners Brenda Fallon and Jonathan Taylor operate a combination tea house and ice cream shop. The ice cream shop attracts a steady stream of customers looking for a treat after a riverside walk and offers several benches and seats outdoors to appreciate the river view. The tea room is open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the menu reflects those hours with soups, salads, sandwiches, quiches, pot pies, grandmotherly baked goods and a wide assortment of teas, coffees and juices.
Customers choose from the menu selections listed on blackboards and order from the counter.
Our food arrived on a three-tiered serving tray, with the usual tea offerings of scones, sandwiches and sweets. We polished off two fluffy scones, served with strawberry jam and cream, and then we faced down the assortment of sweets. There is entertainment the second Wednesday of every month, and the Boathouse is available to rent for functions in the evenings. The Boathouse closes for the month of January and the ice cream shop keeps more seasonal hours, but the tea room, with doors and windows opening to the river, offers a private respite that appeals all year round.