By Chad Ingram

One of Haliburton County’s eateries is a finalist in the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence which will be handed out at the Ontario Tourism Summit in Toronto in November.

Carnarvon’s Rhubarb along with its Boshkung Brewing Co. is a top-three finalist for the Ontario Culinary Experience Award.

“We’re thrilled” said Terri Mathews-Carl who owns the restaurant with her husband chef Christoph Carl.

Rhubarb moved from its former location at Eagle Lake in early 2014 ditching white table cloths for a more contemporary aesthetic and updated menu. Coupled with the opening of the brewery in the basement of the Highway 118 building that formerly housed That Place in Carnarvon the transition has been a successful one.

“We really put an emphasis on local food” Mathews-Carl said. “We try to buy as much local meat and produce as we possibly can.”

The brewery won a gold medal for its North Country Kellerbier at the Canadian Brewing Awards in Niagara Falls this spring Now available in cans as well as growlers North Country Kellerbier will soon be available at the restaurant at Toronto’s CN Tower.
Mathews-Carl noted this should help promote the area to new people.
“All our cans say #MyHaliburtonHighlands on them” she said referring to the county’s tourism tagline.

Mathews-Carl will be a panellist at the Ontario Highlands Tourism Organization’s annual general meeting and conference in Pembroke later this month talking about how a visitor-centric approach to business has aided in Rhubarb’s success.

Earlier this year Minden Hills council approved a zoning change for a take-out burger restaurant the Carls intend to build on a property they own across the highway from Rhubarb.
Mathews-Carl told the paper that plans for Boshkung Burger had been put on hold as the owners investigate a plan to expand the brewery. She said she’s hoping to see the project come to fruition in 2016.