Iron Kettle Commissary

Nominated for the Peter Stokes Restoration Award: Small-Scale/Individual/Small Business

In 2018, Chef Ben LeBlanc-Beaudoin and his wife, Ginette, bought the building across from the century-old farmhouse out of which they operated their Iron Kettle Bed and Breakfast, situated on the main street of Comber, Ontario. At the time, they didn’t have a plan for the structure, built in 1881 and standing vacant for 40 years. When the pandemic hit, plans shifted. Unable to operate their Bed and Breakfast, they started presenting ready to eat meals a few times per week and selling bread to stores in the area. When they had access, they placed bread in the lobby of the Bed and Breakfast and found that they sold out quickly every time. They decided to set up a bread boutique with other products from their kitchen. The plan then began to turn the 1881 storefront into the Iron Kettle Commissary.

The Beaudoin family and their contractors approached the retrofitting of this retail space with an eye to a celebration of its place in Comber. The result of the restoration is beautiful. The ceilings in the retail space are high and there are beautifully constructed rich wooden shelves built into the wall behind the register. The baking area is a large open space, and the style and signage are reminiscent of a bygone time. The interior honours the style of the period in which the building was built. Windows line the front of the building flooding the retail area with light. Iron Kettle Commissary is a destination which honors the past of it’s farming community by bringing people together.

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