On April 1st , 1993, Karen and Tony Nelson opened Taste of Country. Taste of Country started out in a 1500 square foot store employing two full time staff. The original business greatly emphasized the sale of specialty frozen food.

By August 1994 the store increased its area to 3000 square feet with ten employees, and expanded its product line to include unique country gifts. Over the next 3 years Taste of Country continued to enhance the quality, quantity and selection of its products. Customers greatly appreciated the charm and unique combination of country gifts and specialty foods.

On May 30, 1997 Taste of Country purchased this circa 1830 cobblestone house. After a year filled with numerous council meetings to have the property rezoned, construction began on the main store addition in June 1998. Taste of Country in its new location was open to the public for the weekend craft shows during November and December 1998. After Christmas 1998 while most of us are packing up our home decorations and taking down our tree, Karen, Tony and the staff of Taste of Country were busy painting, packing, moving and preparing for their grand opening at the new location for January 30, 1999.

Without missing a beat the next transition was underway with the renovation of the stone house. This historical 1830 Roblin home was graciously restored while maintaining its warmth and beauty. With great pride and excitement, Tony and Karen opened this next phase to their anxious customers the end of June 1999.

In the spring of 2000 a tradition of bringing in live baby chicks for adults and children to handle, began. A "chick" barn is set up in the store for approximately 6 weeks before Easter.

The generous increase of merchandise for the seasons: garden, Easter, Halloween and Christmas developed yet another expansion. In August 2001 an attractive building with indoors and outdoors board and batten stained in our unique grey stone colour was added. Rustic antique cupboards and cabinets were sought after to make the "seasonal room" functionally charming.

Taste of Country is now the largest Country Store in the Quinte area with over 10,000 square feet of country merchandising, bakery and specialty foods staffing up to 60 employees.

TASTE OF COUNTRY IS DEDICATED TO ENSURE EVERY CUSTOMER SHARES IN AN ENJOYABLE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE We follow through with every customer by sharing a collective feeling of community and always following a mutual direction.

Taste of Country makes this MISSION STATEMENT achievable through our employees. Once each and every employee takes individual responsibility for completely satisfying the customer, Taste of Country and customer satisfaction will become synonymous.

Our Vision

To be a competitive and successful retailer, providing total satisfaction for our customers and providing opportunities for our employees to grow and contribute.

Our Values

To be customer driven;
To support and respect employees;
To encourage team work;
To pursue continuous improvement in quality of work;
To enhance community

1783 – The American War of Independence ended and many families made the difficult journey from New York, New Jersey and other states to Canada. They left behind many of their possessions, including their land, hopeful to establish a new life in a new country. They became known as The United Empire loyalists. The Bay of Quinte area was one of the places chosen for these Unites Empire Loyalists to settle. The land was drawn for by each person and the amount given determined by their service to the crown. The land was divided into townships and each township into concessions. Sidney township was the eighth township in the district known as the Mecklenburg District. Not all the land in a township was surveyed right away. Some parts of the Third Concession of Sidney were not surveyed or open to settlement until the early 1800s.

1803 – Samual Birdsey Gilbert received lot 38, Concession 3, Sidney Township from the crown. Later he traded or sold the land to a man by the name of Asa Warden who was not a loyalist but later was elected to the Legislative Assembly in Prince Edward County.

1806 – Asa Warden received the first mortgage from John Walden Meyers to build on the property.

1811 – Lot 38 was purchased in its entirety by Shubael Foster from Asa Warden. The following year Shubael married Phoebe Canniff. Phoebe was the daughter of Phillip Roblin Sr.’s widow, Elizabeth Miller and her second husband Joseph canniff of what is now Cannifton and area.

1829 – Shubael obtained a mortgage from James Hunter Samson.

1830 – The first stone house was built on Lot 38 and occupied by Shubael, Phoebe and their nine children. The house was built in the Loyalist style of architecture incorporating some elements of the Georgian style with the Neo-Classic style popular in the 1830’s.

1831 – An eastern extension was added to the house but had no entry to the main house from the upstairs. This is a clear indication that it was used by the servants that worked for Phoebe and Shubael. Phoebe’s father was known to employ servants in his house in Cannifton.

1842 – Lot 38 was sold by Shubal Foster (note the different spelling of the same name) to Elijah Terry who in turn sold to Phillip Roblin. Phillip Roblin’s wife, Abigail Gilbert came from a family rich in United Empire Loyalist history. Her grandfather, Abel Gilbert arrived in the Mecklenburg district with the first united Empire Loyalists.

1850 – In the mid to late 1850’s, the outside of the house was given a new look. It was covered with a cobblestone veneer. There were approximately 15 houses constructed with cobblestone in this area. The only other area in Ontario to use this covering is in Paris, Ontario.

1884 – According to Phillip Roblin’s will, the East half of Lot 38 was given to William Roblin and the West half given to Harry Bidwell Roblin, both sons of Phillip and Abigail.

1898 – The East half of Lot 38 was sold by William Roblin to Harry Roblin.

1952 – Lot 38 was sold by Harry Roblin to Charles and Billie Taylor who kept the property until 1965 when it was sold to Glenna Brown.

1997 – The property on which the house stands was purchased by Taste of Country in May 1997.