HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1977-08-24, Page 6Page 6
Citizens News, August 24, 1977
Still pleasing palates
Not your normal retirement!
In what was to have been the
breezeway of their retirement
home on highway 21 never St.
Joseph, Ross (Tubby) and
Marguerite Johnston opened a
pastry shop in 1970. It prospered
with a speed that left them a lit-
tle breathless.
Business has tripled in the last
seven years. Recently, they bak-
ed 286 pies on a weekend mor-
ning, while neighbours still slept.
By 2:30 p.m. the same day, every
one had been sold.
If a stranger comments that
the small sign out front makes
their Pie -Tart Shop hard to find,
they laugh. The Johnstons are no
longer trying to find more
customers. They have cut out
Iarge orders and limited
themselves to counter sales, but
plan to continue taking orders for
mincemeat pies and tarts and
butter tarts for Thanksgiving and
Christmas.
The shop is closed Monday and
Tuesday. Other days it's open
from 10 a.m. till everything is
sold. After Christmas each year
they migrate to West Palm
Beach, Florida, to take it easy
till early spring.
"I've always liked baking
pies", said Marg. "It doesn't
seem like work."
They make all their pastry by
hand, mixing and hand -rolling it
themselves. It's "made with lov-
ing care", they explain.
The dry ingredients — flour,
shortening and salt — are com-
bined in plastic tubs about two
feet across. At 2 a.m., while the
air is still cool, they start the
day's work. The baking is finish-
ed about seven hours later.
The only thing they add is ice -
water. How much? Marguerite
says she has no idea. "I go by
feel — till it feels right,"
She and Ross roll out enough
pastry for only one pie at a time.
Most contain fresh fruit, but they
also make cream -filled pies.
They are baked in a special 40 -
pie propane -heated oven. The
Johnstons have never burned an
ovenful. "We've been most for-
tunate", said Marguerite.
The couple used to live in
Zurich, where they ran the
Dominion Hotel, Their fine
cuisine brought diners from all
over Canada. Reservations were
made days ahead and customers
lined up to get in. In August 1970,
their last month at the Domi-
nion, they served 8,000 people,
Marguerite prepared all the
pastry for the dining room,
almost from the time she and
Ross were married.
For Ross, being a chef and
hotelier was traditional. His
grandfather, Robert Ross
Johnston, who emigrated to
Zurich from Belfast, Ireland, ran
the same hotel till his death in
1915. William, Ross' father, then
took over. The hotel changed
hands briefly before Ross
became owner. When health
THEY KNOW THEIR PASTRY — Ross and Marg Johnston have a way
with food. For the past seven years they have run the very successful
Pie -Tart Shop on highway 21, just south of St. Joseph. Earlier they
gave the dining room of Zurich's Dominion Hotel a reputation for fine
food that brought customers from great distances. Staff photo
problems obliged him to retire,
the hotel passed out of the family
again.
A son, Robert Ross, named
after the original owner, still
lives in Zurich, beside the hotel,
The Johnstons two married
daughters, who used to help as
hostesses and cashiers in the
Dominion, are still in the area,
too. Elizabeth, Mrs. Bob Merner,
lives in Zurich. Carol, Mrs. Bill
Hoffman, is in Dashwood. There
are seven grandchildren.
SUMMER CLEANCE
1 26" LAWN SWEEPER
1 M.T.D. 5 H.P. RIDING
LAWN MOWER 26" CUT
1 C.G.E. 18" CUT
ELECTRIC LAWN MOWER
1 M.T.D. 3 1 H.P. VERTICAL
SHAFT ROTO TILLER
2 MALIBU PROPANE GAS
BAR -B -Q, 30,000 B.T.U.
3 BLACK & DECKER WHIPPER
SNIPPER GRASS TRIMMERS
6 4 GAL. PAIL COAL TAR
BASE DRIVEWAY SEALER
REG. CLEARING
42.95 39.95
524.95
94.88
239.95
209.95
39.95
10.99
469.95
85.98
209.95
188.95
35.95
9.99
ALSO NY STYLES AND
COLOURS IN LAWN CHAIRS
ND CHAISE LOUNGES TO
CHOOSE FROM.
DON'T FORGET NOW IS THE TIME TO
WEED -N -FEED YOUR LAWNS.
ZURICH
PHONE 236-4911
HARDWARE
MAIN INTERSECTION — ZURICH
•
NORATU
to the Zurich Bean
Festival Committtee
on their 12th Annual
Bean Festival
We hope everyone enjoys themselves
on Saturday and we are proud
to support the Zurich Bean Festival
TIONS
W TIIOMPSON £ SONS! TD
HEN5ALL MITCHELL KIRTON