So you’ve purchased your theatre tickets and you have a few different restaurants in mind, but you’ve yet to book a Stratford Bed and Breakfast for your weekend getaway?
Sure a hotel is a fine option, and the picturesque town in Ontario has a few that fit the bill, but what about something closer to home? An escape that exudes a cozy atmosphere and fantastic food; why not spend that night at a Stratford Bed and Breakfast?
Not only is a Stratford Bed and Breakfast an intimate and unique experience, if you book a night at the Rosehurst B&B you’ll experience comfortable rooms with a ton of personal touches, as well as some fantastic food presented by former Food Network host and Rosehurst owner, Theresa Albert.
Stratford Bed and Breakfast Backstory
Built in 1896 By William Brooker, an engineer with the Grand Trunk Railway, the Rosehurst home as a Stratford Bed and Breakfast experience, shares a unique connection with the history of Stratford. Long before Stratford became a hub for theatre production, Stratford was the centre of railway activity and the town’s infrastructure was pivotal in opening up the towns and farms in southwestern Ontario and to the north.
Surprisingly enough, Theresa once had the granddaughter of William Brooker knock on her front door.
“Just when I was cleaning up from breakfast one very busy August morning, a woman knocked on the door. She asked to come in ‘just to see the home in its current state’. Having just read her grandmother’s memoir, she was curious to see the house that featured so largely in her childhood. Here stood the woman who could tell me how this house came to be,” Theresa said.
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“We pushed aside the dirty coffee cups and she shared that her great grandfather built this house for his family but they also took in boarders as there were few places to stay for those who came through to work on the railway,” she continued.
“She describes in this memoir that the children loved putting the Christmas tree up in the large curved front window and would sit at the top of the curved stairs to watch the adults down in the living room. I took her through the house into the garden room and out on to a covered porch. She explained that they had called this ‘the sleeping porch,’ which was screened in at the time and on hot summer days the entire family would sleep on cots outside to escape the summer heat. I can imagine the darkness and the silence as this working-class town fell to sleep at sunset minus the hubbub of theatre goers and foodies coming home from the pubs and restaurants.”
Opening a Stratford Bed and Breakfast
In Theresa’s own words, “I simply came because it was time.”
“After a career in TV, as an author and in communications telling people how to live more healthfully; I realized I was running up escalators far too often (in high heels and makeup no less). Post empty nest, post-divorce and with the red hot Toronto real estate market my dollar could go further and my life could use a little more solidity. I had trained in Food and Beverage and had a whole career in hotel management beforehand so a Stratford Bed and Breakfast seemed to be a great merging of everything I knew and loved.”
Theresa picked Stratford for a few different reasons, but in her heart, she wanted to feel more connected to the Earth and her surroundings, Theresa gravitated to the grounded and hard-working history of Stratford.
“The pace is manageable as I can get more done in a day without having to drive across a congested city, encounter and deflect excessive stimulus and I still have time to take a walk with a friend when all the work is done. There is a whole world out there, beyond the Toronto beehive that we don’t even know or often recognize. I have been honoured and enriched learning to live within it.”
Checking in at Rosehurst Stratford Bed and Breakfast
Once you book a date to stay at the Rosehurst B&B, Theresa will email you with useful information so you can best enjoy your stay in Stratford:
- Where to park. The Rosehurst has a large driveway with clearly designated parking spots.
- A number combination in order to lock and unlock the front door. You will also be given a key to your individual room upon arrival.
- WIFI is included.
- Rosehurst B&B offers cruiser-type bicycles to make your trip into town nice and smooth.
- Rosehurst is a 10-minute walk to the heart of Stratford’s food and theatre scene.
- For weekend stays, Theresa serves a homemade breakfast on Sunday’s. If you’re staying at Rosehurst during the week, speak with Theresa about food during your stay.
- Check-out is 11am.
Accommodation at Rosehurst B&B
If you’re looking for a Stratford Bed and Breakfast, Rosehurst has recently been updated with new plumbing, wiring and fire safety systems. Every room at Rosehurst features a private ensuite bathroom with a walk in shower. Three of the four well-appointed rooms feature private balconies.
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Rosehurst Stratford Bed and Breakfast Garden
For Theresa, the foodie opportunities were what screamed the loudest and what ultimately separates Rosehurst from the rest. A large, sunny backyard gave her the perfect place to create a keylock garden. All of the food she serves her guests for breakfast either comes from her garden or from neighbouring farms.
A pear tree and bushels of asparagus cover the back row while the keyhole garden in the middle of the backyard is home to strawberries and a variety of seasonal vegetables. Theresa holds a “local first” philosophy that is at the core of the Stratford restaurant scene.
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From her homemade granola to local Mennonite summer sausage, the entire breakfast that Theresa cooks for her guests on weekends is fresh, tasty and made with care.
What’s fascinating about Theresa’s garden is its construction. A keyhole garden, as the name suggests is shaped like a doorknob with a slot for a key near the bottom. This allows the gardener to take their daily composting scrap and add to the basket in the middle throughout the growing season, providing nutrients for the plants.
Rosehurst B&B Serves a Healthy Breakfast
Theresa plants a different crop in her garden each Spring and every day has been inspired by what blooms. In two years, she has never served the same thing twice.
The Rosehurst dining room is large and full of natural light. The dining room table is made of reclaimed wood from an old barn door that a friend of Theresa’s made specifically for her home.
Breakfast at Rosehurst, is served in a relaxed three course tasting menu. You’ll start first with fresh fruit from either Theresa’s garden or a local farmer in the area, alongside fantastic homemade vegan biscuits and/or granola and fresh yogurt.
The main course follows, which in this case was Omega 3 eggs from a farmer friend poached with nasturtium pesto, and baked with international inspiration du jour. Breakfast here is always served alongside fresh vegetable inspirations such as steamed asparagus from the garden tossed in apple cider vinegar and topped with slivers of dried apple.
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First Course:
- Fresh, simmered or compote fruit from the garden and local growers
- Homemade granola with local spent grain from Herald Haus Brewery
- Homemade organic yogurt
Main course:
- Omega 3 eggs from a farmer friend scrambled with herbs, poached with nasturtium pesto, baked in some fashion with international inspiration du jour.
- Fresh Vegan biscuits. So far Theresa has experimented with original, cinnamon, curried sweet potato, and pumpkin seed varieties.
- Raspberry compote, apricot and raisin chutney.
- Fresh vegetable inspiration such as steamed asparagus from the garden with apple cider vinegar and shaved dried apple.
- A local meat and cheese charcuterie board.
Palate Cleanser:
- Home fermented kombucha to help balance gut bacteria and set up healthy energy for the day.
- Canadian alcohol-free champagne instead of orange juice.
Rosehurst Stratford Bed and Breakfast Reservations
131 Front Street, 519-273-2832
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