our story
Welcome to Toast & Jam, an extension of Bread & Butter Bakery.
Offering great food, and excellent service in a comfortable and welcoming environment.
Using high quality, locally sourced ingredients and making everything from scratch in house are at the heart of our menu.
We hope you enjoy!
Our fireplace is surrounded by comfy couches and chairs to provide guests with the perfect spot to enjoy breakfast, brunch, or a midday snack.
Frying up eggs at Toast & Jam Cafe in Kingston, ON
Our Story
“I grew up in St. Catharines and ever since I can remember life revolved around our dining room table; breaking bread and sharing stories. My mother, Dorothy, was always in the kitchen baking goodies. She was the first one to teach me how to cream butter and crack eggs. My passion for baking and cooking grew and so did starting a family. Eventually, I decided to take the plunge and enroll in the Culinary Arts program at Niagara College.
After graduation, I worked as a Pastry Chef in the Niagara region, then my husband Wayne and I decided to move our family to Kingston. Moving to Kingston gave me the courage to start my own bakery, Bread and Butter, where I could impart what I learned and provide hearty home-cooked meals and heavenly desserts to other families just like my Mom did for us.
Toast and Jam became a natural extension of our bakery, as we wanted to bring people together in a family-style restaurant, where you felt like one of the family as you walked through the door.
My girls, Katie and Hilary, are all grown up from their days of sleeping on flour bags while my husband and I worked late long hours. Now they both work in our shops making it a true family business. Our whole family, along with all of our amazing staff, play an important role in making this place a success.”
After 18 years in the bakery, it finally felt like the right time to make the move and expand our business. Not to mention a customer or two who were giving us a nudge to expand. We see the restaurant as the natural progression for us, building the menu from all of your favorite breads, baked goods and savory items you'll find in the bakery - as well as adding in some new fresh ideas! The bakery has grown more than we ever imagined and we hope to see the restaurant have the same success. We can't express how thankful we are to the Kingston community for supporting and embracing us over the years and with this new endeavor.
Sincerely, The Whitall's