By Janet Carr & Julius Melnitzer | October 27, 2026
Stratford has long drawn visitors for its theatre. Jennifer Birmingham, owner of The Bruce Hotel, wants you to come for the food as well, and she has built much of the hotel around that idea, from the beehives and Chef’s Garden on its grounds to a private morning tour of the Perth County farms that supply its kitchen. That tour — a few hours of Gouda, organic carrots and piglets — turned out to be the highlight of our stay.
ACCOMMODATIONS
This CAA/AAA Five Diamond boutique hotel, located on six and a half acres of manicured lawns and gardens, is a short parkland stroll to the Stratford Festival’s Festival Theatre and a 15- to 20-minute walk from the Avon Theatre. There are 25 guest rooms spread over two floors — plus a separate cottage for larger groups. Noteworthy is the fact that The Bruce is the first fully wheelchair-accessible hotel in Canada and one of very few in the world.
To say the guest rooms are generously proportioned is an understatement — all are at least 600 square feet. The five-piece bathrooms feature ceramic tile designed and created by the owner herself. Elegantly decorated and well appointed, each room has its own bar fridge stocked with complimentary water, a kettle, and a French press. The welcome butter tarts deserve a paragraph all to themselves — tender pastry with an ooey-gooey centre. The emphasis is on comfort and convenience, not leading-edge design.
Each wing of the hotel has a “pantry” with an ice maker, a Nespresso coffee maker, a milk frother, and what we understood to be a bottomless jar of regularly rotating sweets.
SERVICES
Service is the hotel’s strength. Staff are attentive without hovering, and a concierge walks you to your room and shows you where everything is and how it works. A complimentary full breakfast is served daily between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. in The Restaurant, The Bruce’s dining room. If you need your coffee sooner, you can preorder your cup of joe to arrive at a time of your choosing. And — get this — there’s a Cookie Hotline: four flavours, available 24/7 and delivered warm to your room.
The shoeshine and laundry services are also complimentary; just speak with reception to arrange.
A caveat: The Bruce’s strengths do not include answering pre-reservation emails. One went unanswered and one required a reminder. When the hotel did respond, the usual flourish of service took over.
AMENITIES
A mural-size map of the world in 1564, the year Shakespeare was born, dominates the lounge, which is off the lobby and a comfortable place to enjoy a beverage. The seasonal wood-burning fireplace makes for a cozy spot to curl up with a book, so why not borrow a copy of your favourite play or sonnet from the Bard’s complete works, available across the hall in the Shakespeare Library.
Also on the main floor are the gym and a magnificent pool pavilion which, disappointingly, houses a too-big hot tub and a too-small pool. It didn’t deter us from spending a relaxing afternoon there.
GROUNDS
In addition to offering a pleasant stroll, the grounds include an outdoor gazebo, tailor-made for enjoying cocktails or a pre-arranged tasting menu.
On the edge of the Bee Meadow are two hives, each housing 60,000 to 80,000 bees in peak season. Under the stewardship of resident beekeeper Bill Armstrong, they produce around 500 pounds of light honey each year, some for The Bruce’s kitchen and some for sale to guests.
Outdoor games such as bocce ball, croquet and Jenga are available seasonally. The reception team will set them up.
DINING
The Restaurant at The Bruce draws on Perth County farmers, artisans and suppliers, along with honey from the Bruce bees and vegetables and garnishes from the hotel’s Chef’s Garden. It is Feast On-certified, meaning the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance has vetted its local sourcing.
That farm-to-fork approach shows up at every meal. Standouts at our two breakfasts in The Restaurant were the Labrador shrimp omelette with tarragon butter, wilted spinach, chives and crème fraîche; and the smoked trout with pickled fennel, beets, radish, dill and rye toast.
We tried both the prix fixe and the à la carte dinner menus. The Arctic char was crisp-skinned perfection, and the duck confit, not usually our first choice, won us over. Don’t leave without trying the carrot tart, a signature dish that gives new meaning to “eat your vegetables.”
FARM TOUR
We were fortunate enough to book this tour, led by culinary director Nick Benninger, on short notice. Nick, who acted as our chauffeur, cultural educator, and masterful snack provider, greeted us at 9 a.m. We covered a lot of ground, visiting three different farms, each with distinct personalities and offerings.
First stop was Mountainoak Cheese, a dairy farm owned and operated by a Dutch couple. They produce Gouda in many flavours, including nettle, which some call a weed, but which is actually a popular Dutch cheese flavouring. The samples were delicious, the opportunity to bond with the calves appreciated, and Nick’s Gouda and crabapple custard tarts were next level.
On to Pfenning’s Organic, a large-scale vegetable grower, where an impressively knowledgeable guide gave us an education in crop rotation. Another of Nick’s delicious concoctions followed: roasted carrot in shiso leaf, served picnic-style on a silver platter.
Our final stop, Organic Oasis, was a smaller-scale vegetable farm and grocery store, run by a Mennonite couple whose families have farmed for generations. The chicks were cute, the piglets even cuter, and once again Nick wowed us with his snacks — radishes with local butter and stuffed nasturtium flowers.
Back to The Bruce by 1 p.m. for a “welcome home” glass of champagne to enjoy in the lounge, an opportunity to reflect on an engaging tour and a satisfying stay.
IF YOU GO
Where: The Bruce Hotel, 89 Parkview Drive, Stratford, Ont.; 519-508-7100; thebruce.ca.
When: We went in early October, during both theatre and harvest seasons.
Getting there: About 90 minutes by car from Toronto.
Rates: Vary by date. In November 2026, a room for two runs roughly $520 to $800 a night, breakfast included, before some taxes. Check thebruce.ca for your dates.
Farm tour: $250 per person. Book through events@thebruce.ca.