For three decades, Waring House has grown with the County, carving out a legacy as permanent as the beautiful limestone building marking the roundabout at County Road 1 and the Loyalist Parkway.

I sat down with Chris and Norah Rogers to mark this important, hard-earned milestone. 

Both Chris, who still practices veterinary medicine at Prince Edward Animal Hospital west of Picton, and Norah, a retired family doctor, say it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long since they purchased the restaurant from a partnership group in 1995.

Chris was playing squash at the RecPlex, as it was known at the time, when he heard the restaurant was for sale. Both Chris and Norah grew up in a stone house; they loved the building and were considering living there. But then they took a tour. It was just prior to supper service, with the china and silverware all laid out, gleaming in the candlelight. 

Another idea quickly took root.

“Our friend Rob Richmond made it all sound so easy…You just buy the food, he said, have someone cook it and serve it, and you make all the money!” Norah said with that laugh.

Not quite, as anyone who has spent time in the restaurant business will tell you. 

But a loyal customer base, high quality local fare, live entertainment, and award-winning hospitality, thanks to wonderful staff, are, Chris explains, the hard won keys to the Waring House’s success.

A gradual uptick in tourism year-after-year hasn’t hurt, either. The business has evolved with the changes in Prince Edward County. 

“The Waring House means a little 
something to almost everyone.”

—Norah Rogers

“The County has really gotten busy and we’ve gotten busy with it,” Chris says, recalling the early days. Tourism didn’t start until June, when schools emptied, and it shut off on Labour Day weekend. Residents could set a clock to it.

“I remember having a conversation with our representative from Tourism Ontario and they said Prince Edward County would never become a destination like other places in the province,” Norah recalls. “We argued this point for a while but she just couldn’t see it.”

Long before Ontario’s Culinary Tourism Alliance started branding restaurants as “Feast On Certified,” farm-to-table dining was on offer at the Waring House. Locals would scan the menus to see which County farm was supplying the restaurant with produce, beverages, and meat.

Wineries, breweries, orchards, vegetables, fruit, and lamb and beef farms receive top billing.

“Our loyal customers, the connection to our Prince Edward County heritage through this building, and our relationships with the farmers and beverage producers have all been fundamental to our success,” Chris notes.

The Barley Room Pub expanded in 1997. Amelia’s Garden, a finer dining option, has seen several upgrades. Waring Hall now caters to weddings, celebrations of life, important service club gatherings and meetings, and fundraising concerts. The lodges were completed in 2008, creating a total of 49 rooms.

About 80 employees keep it all humming along. “Employing local folks who are warm, inviting, and genuine is another important piece of the puzzle,” Norah adds.

A weekly slate of performers is another mainstay. “We spoke to a number of people who spent time in this house when it was owned by the Waring family and one was the late Ruby Lockyer of Lockyer’s Flower Shop,” Chris said. “She recalled that on Sunday evenings, there would always be live music.”

The tradition continues. Whether it’s a night by touring artists, a local band, or part of the Jazz Festival, the sound of familiar melodies emanates from the Barley Room on an almost nightly basis.

Peter Rea and The Reasons, Mark Despault, Miss Emily, Caleb and Meghan Hutton all honed their musical chops in the pub.

At a recent anniversary celebration, felicitations came from a number of corners, including the office of Mayor Steve Ferguson.

In presenting a certificate of recognition, the Mayor congratulated Chris and Norah for nurturing a place that exemplifies hospitality, heritage, and heart.

“Through their leadership, the Waring House has become a landmark destination and proud symbol of what makes the County special,” the Mayor said. 

Where do they see their creation in another 30 years? “We really hope it continues to last. The County is changing little by little every day but the Waring House has meant something to so many people,” Chris said. 

As Norah puts it, “The Waring House means a little something to almost everyone.”