This year, Chateauguay Valley residents can look forward to stocking up on Grant’s holiday goodies—including their trademark fruitcake.
With the holidays approaching, the excitement of indulging in annual traditions awaits us. For many this means anything from decorating a tree to stringing lights to lighting candles. For some of us, it means picking up a Grant’s fruitcake from Grant’s Bakery in Huntingdon, Quebec.
Located at 51 Roosevelt Street, Grant’s Bakery does more than just create artisanal breads, rolls, doughnuts and sweet goods—it also produces more than a third of a million pounds of fruitcake and Christmas goodies per year—including their beloved deluxe fruitcakes, imperial fruitcakes, cherry cakes, plum puddings with sauce and shortbread cookies. These are all lovingly made with many different ingredients, including plump juicy raisins, glacé cherries, golden pineapple and scrumptious pecan nuts. Sold across Eastern Canada, the fruitcakes are also used by many organisations like the Lions Clubs, the Parkinson Society of Canada, the Parkinson Society of Quebec and the Optimist Clubs as a means by which to raise funds for charitable causes.
The idea of the bakery was first brought to light by Henry Grant in 1920. Operating intermittently for the next twenty-five years, Grant’s Bakery was officially established in 1945. His sons Charles and Gordon ignited the bakery with the help of family members Howard, Elsie and Eleanor, establishing a business that has now been in the Grant family for over four generations. Today, the bakery is operated by Charles’ son Richard and his wife Beatrice, along with their daughters Sarah and Ruth, as well as their son-in-law Michael Krause. The fifth generation is now in training.
If you haven’t already, be sure to run out and pick up a Grant’s fruitcake (or two) to complete your holiday spread, or for a gift to a lucky few. While the cakes are available at your local supermarket, you can also pick up one at Grant’s retail outlet open Monday through Thursday until Christmas Eve.
The Grant family would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year. They look forward to continuing this annual tradition for years to come.
