A Century of Tradition
Fern Resort's Most Delicious Legacy as the Home of Rolls and Honey
On a misty morning by Lake Couchiching, before guests at Fern Resort stir from their beds, something magical begins in the kitchen. Dough is rising, ovens are warming, and a legacy that began over a century ago continues, one golden roll at a time.
These are the famous Fern Resort rolls: pillowy, golden, and baked fresh every single day using the same secret recipe brought to the resort by Jim Pettapiece in 1918.
A master baker by trade and a visionary by spirit, Jim and his wife Mimi moved to the property then known as Fern Cottage, bringing their three children and a love for exceptional food.
With them came a roll recipe so special, so universally beloved, that it soon became the soul of the resort’s culinary identity.
But even the best roll needs a perfect partner — and Jim found one in Crerar’s Honey.
Harvested from a family-run apiary in the lush Ottawa Valley, Crerar’s Honey is the kind of pure goodness that transforms a simple bite into a moment to remember. From the earliest days, the rolls were served with generous helpings of this honey, and together, they created a taste that Fern guests could never forget.
It didn’t take long before Fern Resort earned a new nickname, passed quietly between satisfied guests and proudly embraced by the staff: “The Home of Rolls and Honey.”
"There is no evidence to prove the following," says Mark Downing, president and the fourth generation of his family to run the beloved all-inclusive resort. "However, Fern folklore passed down through the generations tells of a story that underscores exactly how synonymous “The Home of Rolls and Honey” became to 'Fern Resort.'"
Legend has it, Mark continues, that a letter sent to Fern by a guest from the United States arrived to the resort with no physical address but simply addressed as: "Fern Resort - the home of rolls and honey."
"This was proof on the wide spread love for the Fern rolls and honey," he adds.
Fern Resort is an all-season retreat that welcomes visitors to the Eastern shores of idyllic Lake Couchiching, less than 15 minutes from downtown Orillia. The resort is known for its warm hospitality, friendly atmosphere and activities that are fun for the whole family.
But the one thing guests seem to remember the most is the delicious dining, centred of course, around the famous rolls.
“It’s a taste that brings you back,” say returning guests, some of whom have been visiting Fern for decades. For them, that first bite is a ritual: warm roll, a drizzle of Crerar’s Honey, and a moment to slow down and savour something timeless.
The tradition has been passed down through four generations. While the resort has grown and evolved, the rolls and honey have remained a constant and cherished thread connecting the past to the present.
In the kitchen, Jim’s original recipe is still followed to the letter. Every morning, that familiar scent of baking bread drifts through the halls, letting guests know that something special awaits them at the table.
What makes this pairing extraordinary isn’t just the taste. It’s the story. It’s the fact that two Canadian family-run businesses, built on passion, have continued to work together for more than a century, never compromising on quality, never losing sight of what makes them special.
The world has changed many times over since Jim Pettapiece first rolled out dough on a worn wooden counter, but at Fern Resort, some things remain delightfully the same.
More than one hundred years in the past, etched in flour. And ahead, another hundred waiting to be written.
The rolls will rise again tomorrow.
Ready to taste these for yourself?
Fern Resort is located at 4432 Fern Resort Road in Ramara, Ontario.
A family-owned, all-inclusive getaway located on the shores of Lake Couchiching in Ontario, Fern Resort offers year-round activities such as water sports, winter skating trails, and supervised kids’ programs.
Great Escapes Magazine is a publication of Resorts of Ontario, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for resorts, lodges and inns of Ontario's tourism industry.
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