Eatdrink #43 September/October 2013

20 www.eatdrink.ca
№ 43 | September/October 2013
road trips
The Joy of Slowing Down
Traditional Foods — and Attitudes —in Millbank, Perth County
By NICOLE LAIDLER
Millbank is one of those rural
communities most people
drive by on the way to
someplace else. But this quiet
village of around 600 residents makes a
worthwhile destination for day trippers in
search of authentic Mennonite cooking and
some of the region’s finest cheese.
Located in the heart of Perth County just
20 minutes north of Stratford, Millbank is
home to Anna Mae’s Bakery and Restaurant
— a busy roadside eatery, bakery, and gift
shop — and the Millbank Cheese Factory
— established in 1908 and now locally
owned by 90 families. Once discovered,
both will have you coming back for more.
Meeting customers from far and wide is
one of the things manager Janice Kropf loves
best about working at Anna Mae’s. “We get a
lot of visitors from London, Woodstock and
Toronto, as well as the States,” says Kropf.
“It’s fascinating to find out where people are
coming from.” The restaurant and bakery
Horse-drawn buggies are a
common site on the village streets
Behind the counter at Anna Mae’s Bakery & Restaurant
are also popular with the local Mennonite
community, whose horse-drawn buggies
are a common site on the village streets.
Anna Mae Wagler was a local Mennonite
woman who began selling homemade pies
at the end of her laneway. After turning her
kitchen into a small bakery to keep up with
demand, she built the current stand-alone
location in 1991. “Originally it was just
supposed to be a bakery and a small coffee
shop,” says Kropf. “Then someone asked
her to cook a meal.”
In 2001, Wagler sold the business to her
neighbours, the late Mel Herrfort and his
wife Marlene. Anna Mae Wagler still lives
in Millbank, and Marlene continues to
own the business with daughter Amanda
helping out behind the scenes. But apart
from a few new menu items, Kropf says
not much has changed at Anna Mae’s for
more than 20 years. That seems to suit the
customers just fine.
On a busy Saturday night, the 175-seat
restaurant can serve up to 1,000 people. Many
make a special trip for Anna Mae’s signature
broasted chicken — marinated pieces of
chicken deep-fried to perfection in a pressure