On my weekends I don’t usually work at the tire warehouse (where I work full time) or the suit store, (where I work part time). If I have a day to relax, I usually choose to explore the local area, to discover new places and faces. I really enjoy travelling down the number 2 highway from Cornwall, Ontario, Canada (the town I live close to) to places along the St. Lawrence River. Brockville is one of my favourite towns on this route, West from Cornwall.
Right in the heart of downtown Brockville, I discovered this homely, quaint little tearoom called “Cosies”, which specializes in a wide variety of British baked goods, as well as full English breakfast, amongst other things. I am usually served by the cheerful, and knowledgeable Abi Goodyer. Her mother and father, Alison and Paul Goodyer, own the business in partnership with their son Nick, which has been located at 45 King St. West for over 6 years now. It was formerly a Pizza Pizza before the family took over the premises, and did a thorough renovation. Alison and Paul are both from Devon in England and emigrated to Canada in 1990.
Inside the tearoom, there are pictures of old British sitcoms on the walls. I remember the first time I visited playing a game with Alison of naming all the shows that I remembered from growing up in the UK. Famous shows such as the department store sitcom, “Are You Being Served?”, and other classic programs, such as “Only Fools and Horses”, a story of the Trotter brothers, a Peckham based duo, trying to become millionaires with their crazy hair brained schemes!
The Goodyer family was originally from Britain as well, and you are greeted with their charming English accents, which instantly adds to the authenticity of the place. It makes me feel like I’m back in the motherland! For any Royalists out there (or people that follow the Royal family) you will enjoy seeing portraits of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the walls, along with the current His Royal Highness King Charles III, and many other famous relatives.
The decor of the walls is half wallpaper, half wood paneling. You could easily double the location for a place in the UK if you were filming a television program or feature film. Even the exterior of the building is very British looking, an historical stone structure. The signage is very reminiscent of something you would see in a typical English small town as well. I really love the attention to detail they went to to make you feel like you are stepping into another country for an afternoon cup of tea and a scone.
So far I’ve tried the full English breakfast, which consists of sausage, egg, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, 2 strips of bacon, beans, black pudding, and a slice of fried bread. My body was in Canada, but my tastebuds returned to the land where I was born. A truly magical experience for myself, as someone who has missed English food for a long time!
I have also tried their Cornish pasty for lunch once, a meat filled pouch, with a sort of flaky pastry. Originally designed for the coal miners to eat back in the olden days, as the pastry would flake off so you could eat it with dirty hands, (or at least that’s what I’ve been told!). It comes with a nice fresh salad on the side to compliment the dish.
I hope to return to their wonderful business again at some point in the future. So happy I stumbled upon the place by accident, on one of my random weekend road trips throughout the area.
Here is their official website if you are interested in learning more about them or plan on ordering food:
https://cosiestearoom.com
Anyways enjoy what’s left of this short week, until next time!
James
Pictures: (Left) James Hardiment posing with his freshly baked sausage roll. (Right) Abi Goodyer behind the cash register holding up a bag of delicious scones.
Pictured: James Hardiment eats his sausage roll outside of the tearoom in downtown Brockville.
Pictured: Cosies from the exterior on 45 King St. W in the centre of Brockville.