About an hour northeast of Toronto, set among the rolling hills of Uxbridge along Concession Road 6, sits a low stone and dark wood building surrounded by 90 acres of apple trees. It does not feel like a typical cidery but rather the kind of place you discover on a country drive and immediately decide to linger for the rest of the afternoon.
That is Slabtown Cider Co., and even the name carries a story worth knowing. The original Slab Town was a small 19th-century settlement made up of just ten houses, along with a post office, a school, and a lumber mill. It earned its name from the piles of wood slabs stacked around the sawmill.
The hamlet eventually disappeared, but when owners Jason and Lori Feddema purchased the land in 2017, they chose to revive the name and give it new life.
Heritage Trees, Local Everything
The Feddemas did more than plant an orchard; they preserved one. When the historic Siloam Orchards up the road was set to close, they carefully relocated its heritage apple trees to their property.
Today, those trees, along with grafted offshoots, cover more than half the land and form one of Canada’s largest collections of heritage cider apple varieties. The apples used in each batch are 100 percent Ontario grown, and nearly every other ingredient, from ginger and habanero peppers to honey sourced from 3 Boyz Bees just up the road, comes from local farms as well.
The cider lineup is where things get especially intriguing. Beyond the flagship Founder’s Dry, the rotating seasonal selection includes standout flavours like Honey Habanero with a balanced sweet heat, Cucumber Mint, a Pineapple Mimosa with champagne-style bubbles, and a Raspberry Earl Grey that is surprisingly refined.
You can sample a selection with a four-flight tasting, and the bottle shop on your way out makes it easy to bring a favourite home.
The eatery revolves around a wood-fired pizza oven and a farm-to-table menu that evolves with the seasons. Indoor seating overlooks the open kitchen and production area, but the true highlight is the expansive patio, complete with fire pits and sweeping views across the property.
Live music fills the space on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, while families can take part in build-your-own pizza workshops, and dogs are welcome throughout. On any given visit, it is clear that many guests happily bring their four-legged companions along.
One thing to know is that most of Slabtown’s ciders are not available at the LCBO. You will need to make the drive out to Uxbridge to try them, which can feel like either a small inconvenience or the perfect excuse for a day trip through Durham Region’s trails and countryside. Reservations are recommended for weekends.
Know Before You Go
Address: 4559 Concession Rd. 6, Uxbridge, ON L9P 0L6
Getting There: About 1 hour northeast of Toronto via Highway 404 to Durham Rd. 1. Free on-site parking available
Hours:
Thursday: 12 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Friday to Saturday: 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Monday to Wednesday: Closed
Live Music: Saturdays and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Reservations: Recommended for weekends. Book via Tock or call directly
Dog Friendly: Yes
Kid Friendly: Yes, including build-your-own-pizza workshops
Bottle Shop: On-site, with most ciders exclusive to Slabtown and not available at LCBO
Phone: 416 853 7522
More Info: slabtowncider.com
