Lunn’s Mill
Lunn’s Mill
Putting the ‘other’ Lawrencetown on the Map
BY LINDSAY WICKSTROM
PHOTOS MICHELLE DOUCETTE
When someone says they are going to Lawrencetown, you might think they are off to enjoy a day at the beach. But there is another Lawrencetown in the Annapolis Valley that you’ve probably passed through (or by) on the old Trunk 1 Highway or the 101, right between Middleton and Bridgetown.
“Lawrencetown isn’t exactly on the map. So why here?” I ask Chantelle Webb, co-owner and manager of marketing, sales and the kitchen at Lunn’s Mill Beer Company.
“You say that but it is 100% on the map!” she says. “It is the home of the College of Geographic Sciences, and Lawrencetown is an absolutely perfect circle in its radius and its measurements and its boundaries.”
My eyebrows raised, but a quick Google confirms that Lawrencetown is the only municipality in Canada whose boundaries form a perfect circle.
It is a happy coincidence that co-owner and head brewer, Sean Ebert, happens to have a background in geographical sciences. (He’s originally from Alberta, where he worked as a geophysical technician and has no connection to the NSCC Centre of Geographical Sciences).
Brewing was Ebert’s hobby until he catered a wedding with Webb, and the pair realized people really enjoyed his beer. They brought on a third partner, Chad Graves, to head the financials, and found the perfect abandoned building in the middle of nowhere. Or somewhere, as the case may be.
Lunn’s Mill Beer Company is on the lesser known highway 201 (a collector road and designated cycling route connecting Annapolis Royal to Kingston). You could easily pass through the area without knowing it’s there.
Lunn’s opened in March of 2017, selling beer out of the back door before opening a taproom later that year. The building that houses the brewery was originally a tree nursery for the Department of Natural Resources. The tap room, where I chatted with Webb, had been the boiler room.
“There were two massive boilers sitting in here that heated all the hot water for the 6 greenhouses that came off the building to sprout little trees,” says Webb.
Before deciding on this nondescript yet malleable building, the group had also looked at the End of the Line Pub in Bridgetown (located in an old train station on the Trans Canada Trail) but decided that converting it into a full brewery would be daunting. They eventually opened a restaurant there in 2020: The Station Pub, which recently sold to another restaurant group. Lawrencetown is now the ultimate destination for everything Lunn’s Mill offers.
For locals, it is a “third space” or community hub—a home away from home. For beer lovers and road trippers, it is a destination with great beer and warm hospitality. As I nursed a pint of Pub Ale (an Extra Special Bitter), locals gathered, sitting and chatting and greeting familiar faces that came through the doors.
“We do all sorts of events here. All of the music things, the open mics and karaoke… ” says Webb, noting that they had just hosted a metal show the night prior. “This year we got a grant from the credit union to do a Summer Music Showcase Series for brand new artists and youth artists, LGBTQ+ and Indigenous artists, and we’re going to work on really heavily promoting that and try to provide all the equipment so they can just come and do their thing and they don’t have to worry about the financial barriers to performing.”
But the main focus at Lunn’s is, of course, the craft beer.
Ebert first got the locals hooked on his approachable lager and blonde, but nowadays, his Purple Grain IPA is the best seller. It is certainly one of my favourite IPAs, and I’m happy to report it is coming to the NSLC.
Another notable offering (that also happens to be one of my favourite beers in the province) is Girl, Hold My Earrings, a marvellous rhubarb and raspberry sour that avoids the kool-aide stylings of many other fruited sours.
Chantelle Webb and Sean Ebert
“Originally it was a way for me to get rid of all the rhubarb in my garden,” laughs Webb. “I had about 100 pounds the first year. It was like—what have I done? You need one rhubarb plant per family. I had twelve.”
Valley peaches will make their way into a new beer for Annapolis Royal Pride: a peach blonde. The can will feature a rendering of Steph Peaks, a drag queen hailing from Annapolis Royal, who will also perform at the brewery for Annapolis Royal Pride (July 7-9).
In addition to their in-house roster of beers, Lunn’s Mill serves pints of Spurr Brothers Cider, which is made at the Spurr Brothers Farm Market and cidery down the road, as well as Wild Cider from Aylesford.
They also make a fabulous Hoppy Water for those wanting a non-alcoholic option.
To accompany these beverages, Lunn’s Mill offers a variety of pub foods.
In the early days, Webb ran the kitchen by herself. At the time, their office doubled as the kitchen. It is located in a separate building, so the food had to be carried outdoors to guests in the taproom.
“We did not have the money at the time to put in a big commercial kitchen so we had a tiny little oven and a tiny little fridge, and I was pounding out all sorts of food out of that space,” recalls Webb.” And if you could talk to one of our OG bartenders, Chris … the stories of that poor man hustling with a plate of nachos, protecting it with his body from the snow.”
Webb says the nachos have been a staple since day one. They are a basic nacho dish featuring Tostitos chips, onions, red and green peppers, banana peppers and “oodles of cheese.” What makes them noteworthy is the house-made guacamole and salsa (both excellent) and the sheer size.
“They are this high,” gestures Webb. “They’re ridiculous. People think they can finish them—they don’t.” Fortunately, there is a “wimpy” version, plus donair nachos (with house-made donair meat and sauce) for something a little more novel.
Nowadays, Lunn’s Mill has a full menu (including a children’s menu) and a kitchen that is both on-site and staffed. Deep fryers were installed this past winter for the first time, so hand-cut fries are a more recent addition to the menu.
They are perfectly crispy and seasoned and come with a lovely garlic aioli.
Webb tells me that she insisted on a ketchup-free kitchen, but with the addition of fresh fries, she has had to acquiesce.
“I don’t believe in ketchup,” says Webb. “It’s a crutch. So we never served ketchup here and people would bring their own squeeze packets. The bartender had some contraband up at the bar to give to people. But then I went [to cook at The Station when it opened] and they brought in ketchup [while I was away],” she laughs.
To my relief (I am also not a fan of ketchup), their Valley Dog is ketchup-free, featuring cheese, garlic aioli, sweet relish, crispy onions and bacon on a Nathan’s Famous dog. It’s tempting, but, I order the Lager Driver Bratwurst, which comes, in fact, with curry ketchup, plus spicy honey mustard, beer-braised onions, and sauerkraut. The tasty and plump bratwurst is a signature recipe made by a local butcher for Lunn’s Mill and infused with their Lager Driver beer.
I also decide to try the McLunn’s Burger, a nod to the fast food giant, featuring onions, dill pickles, cheese and “McLunn’s Sauce.” It is a picture-perfect burger with great flavours and beef sourced from D’Aubin Family Meats in Bridgetown.
“When I get my burger ground they can pretty much tell me what cow it came from,” says Webb.
She also recommends the shawarma, which is made with marinated breast meat and dressed with house-made toum. Webb opts for grilled naan bread rather than pita, explaining that she doesn’t have easy access to fresh pita from Halifax and will only serve pita if it is fresh. Naan is also used for various flatbreads on the menu, including garlic fingers.
Webb even makes a vegan naan so that the house-made falafel (and a couple of the flatbreads) can be veganized. Furthermore, the hamburger buns are vegan brioche, and Webb carries vegan cheese and Impossible Foods products, so much of the menu can also be plant-based. There are gluten-free options as well.
Webb suggests a few beer pairings, and I find myself quite pleased with the Lager Driver (Vienna Lager) and the Charming Molly Blonde Ale paired with my nachos and bratwurst. For heartier grub, perhaps the Pub Ale, Brickyard Red, or Anvil Porter would have accompanied.
While it is common for Nova Scotians to visit the Annapolis Valley, we sometimes miss the unique communities that dot the landscape between Wolfville and Annapolis Royal. A little exploration can introduce you to hidden gems, so veer off the beaten path this summer and try something new. Whether you need a spot to break up your trip with some excellent beer and grub or are eager to try out a new-to-you brewery, you will enjoy the friendly, laid-back vibes at Lunn’s Mill.
It’s on the map.
