The Sweetest Road Trip:
a Taste of Maple Trail weekend in Waterloo Region
by Cora Kuehl | March 2026
Planning our Taste of Maple Trail weekend in Waterloo Region
There are few better ways to celebrate maple season than eating your way through it, and that’s exactly what we set out to do this weekend along the Taste of Maple Trail in Waterloo Region.
With so many delicious maple-inspired features to try, we used the digital trail map to plan our route for the weekend. It made it easy to see all the participating spots and map out a path that let us sample everything from maple pastries and lattes to savoury maple dishes and desserts.
Saturday: Maple Pastries & Cozy Dining
Stop 1: Terroir Artisan Bakery — Hespeler Village, Cambridge
Our first stop Saturday morning was Terroir Artisan Bakery, a cozy little café tucked into a heritage industrial building in the area of Cambridge known as Hespeler Village. It’s exactly the kind of place you want to start a slow weekend morning.
Their maple feature is a Maple Morning Bun, and trust me you’ll want to get your hands on one early! Think of it as the perfect croissant-cinnamon roll hybrid: flaky layers of pastry infused with maple sugar and juniper, topped with decadent brown butter cream cheese icing.
Naturally, we paired it with their Terroir Latte, a unique blend of sweet woodruff, wildflower honey, and maple. The result? Cozy, slightly sweet, and perfectly balanced.
Insider tip: Make this your first stop of the day. These morning buns will sell out.
Stop 2: Puddicombe House — New Hamburg
Our next stop took us to Puddicombe House in New Hamburg, where maple is woven throughout the menu in some seriously creative ways.
We started with the Cast Iron Maple Apple Brie, which was the sweetest appetizer (pun absolutely intended). Imagine perfectly melty brie drizzled with maple, topped with apples and… wait for it… caramel popcorn. Yes, caramel popcorn. The mix of creamy, sweet, crunchy, and salty textures made this dish unforgettable.
Next up was the Maple Soya Ginger Duck, which completely exceeded my expectations. Rich, savoury, and perfectly balanced with just the right touch of maple.
The perfect conclusion to the meal was their Maple White Chocolate Pots de Crème, silky, indulgent, and the ideal sweet finish.
Insider tip: Reserve a table on the heated veranda, or, one of Puddicombe’s private, outdoor dining huts (that have been re-named the Sugar Shacks during the Taste of Maple trail): both options provide a cozy way to dine here.
Sunday: Downtown Sips, Scoops & Comfort Food
Stop 1: Café Clementina Bakery & Roastery — Downtown Kitchener
Sunday morning called for coffee, so we made our way to Café Clementina Bakery & Roastery in downtown Kitchener.
Their feature drink on the Taste of Maple Trail is an Iced Salted Maple Latte with Blueberry Cold Foam, and it’s every bit as good as it sounds! The maple and salt balance beautifully, and the blueberry foam adds a bright, slightly fruity twist.
They’re also offering a Maple Brown Butter Blondie, which I was very excited to try… but unfortunately it had already sold out by the time I got there.
Lesson learned: If that blondie is on your must-eat list, get to Café Clementina early to make sure you get one!
Stop 2: Four All Ice Cream — Downtown Kitchener or Uptown Waterloo
Before leaving downtown, we made a quick stop at Four All Ice Cream for their Maple Crème Brûlée Ice Cream, and wow! Rich, creamy, and packed with maple flavour, it’s absolutely worth the stop.
Fun Fact: If you normally skip ice cream because dairy doesn’t agree with you, Four All might change your mind. Their ice cream is made with A2 Guernsey cow milk, which is easier to digest than conventional dairy.
Stop 3: Four Fathers Brewing — Hespeler Village, Cambridge
To wrap up our sweet weekend exploring the Taste of Maple Trail, we were looking for something casual and relaxed, and Four Fathers Brewing in Hespeler Village was calling our name!
Their Maple Chicken ‘N Waffles delivered the perfect sweet-and-savory combo. Crispy chicken, fluffy waffles, and maple tying everything together: it’s comfort food at its finest.
And because maple season deserves a toast, we also tried their Maple Espresso Martini, made with Four Fathers’ Shevchenko 9 Dark Lager and (of course) maple syrup.
The vibe here is super welcoming, board games are available to play while you wait for your food, and the staff are incredibly friendly.
Pro tip: Don’t skip the retail shop on your way out. Pick up a few brews to take home. I highly recommend their Still We Rise – a Niagara cherry vanilla sour beer developed specifically for International Women’s Day.
Final Trail Thoughts
If you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate maple season, the Taste of Maple Trail is the way to do it. Between pastries, cocktails, ice cream, and creative maple-infused dishes, it’s safe to say we fully leaned into the sweetness of the season!
And honestly? No regrets. Maple happens once a year, so make the most of it!
Vote for Your Favourite Stop on the Taste of Maple Trail!
One of the best parts of the Taste of Maple Trail is that you can actually vote for your favourite maple feature after trying the dishes!
Whether it’s a flaky maple pastry, a creative maple cocktail, or a decadent maple dessert, every stop is competing for the top spot. Once you’ve sampled a few of featured items along the trail (or all of them – no judgment here!), make sure to cast your vote and support the local spot that wowed your taste buds the most. The winning maple-inspired food or beverage item will be awarded the Top Taste trophy, along with major bragging rights for the establishment creating it!
Think of it as the sweetest way to support local businesses… and an excellent excuse to try just one more maple treat while you’re exploring Waterloo Region.