Business Spotlight: Reids
Reid's Chocolate,
Candy & Nut Shop
Some businesses are part of a city's history. Reid's Chocolate, Candy & Nut Shop on Ainslie Street in downtown Cambridge is exactly that — a landmark that has been woven into the fabric of this community for over 75 years, through generations of families, across multiple owners, and through every chapter Cambridge has lived through.
Since moving to West Galt I've come to appreciate the character of this community in ways I didn't expect. Part of that character is the businesses that have stood the test of time — the ones that aren't here because of a franchise deal or a corporate strategy, but because generation after generation of Cambridge residents have kept coming back. Reid's is at the top of that list.
original location, circa 1948
Source: Reid's Archives
75+ Years in the Making — The Reid's Story
The story of Reid's starts not with chocolate, but with nuts. In 1935, a man named Raymond Gibney founded his first nut shop in Kitchener, Ontario. The concept caught on — by 1955 there were Raymond's Nut Shops stretching across the province, from Owen Sound to Hamilton, from Kitchener to Cornwall.
The Cambridge location on Main Street opened in 1948 as one of those Raymond's Nut Shops. It was a different era for downtown retail — specialty shops lined Main Street and the idea of a dedicated nut and candy shop was something people made a point of visiting.
“Many of the recipes haven't changed, and some customers have been coming back to Reid's for generations. It's neat to be a part of people's family traditions.” — Carrie Peart, co-owner
Hugh & Isabelle Reid's ownership
Source: Reid's Archives
Still Making It By Hand
What separates Reid's from every other candy shop you've walked past in a mall is that almost everything is made on the premises. The chocolates are handcrafted. The nuts are still roasted in-house — a detail that Ted and Carrie have maintained because, as they'll tell you, it genuinely makes a difference in the flavour.
The recipes themselves are largely unchanged from decades past. Some of them trace back to the Drew-Smith era of the 1970s. When a business keeps using the same recipe for fifty years, it's not because they haven't thought about updating it — it's because the product is exactly right and the customers who grew up on it would notice immediately if it changed.
Ted and Carrie didn't just inherit a business — they grew up in it. Carrie handles what her mother did. Ted handles what his father did. Their parents Tom and Kathy are still involved, doing deliveries and buying trips. Even the staff reflect this philosophy: many are family members of people who worked there in previous generations. When a business runs this way, you feel it the moment you walk in.
Ainslie Street storefront
Source: Reid's Archives
Why This Matters for Cambridge
I spotlight local businesses every month as part of what I do here, and I'll be honest about why: the businesses that have been in a community for decades are part of what makes that community worth living in. When someone asks me why West Galt or downtown Cambridge is special, it's not just the architecture or the river or the parks. It's places like Reid's.
One of the things I tell people who are considering moving to Cambridge from out of town is that this city has a character that takes a little time to reveal itself. Reid's is a perfect example — it's not flashy, it doesn't need a marketing campaign, and it doesn't change its recipes to chase trends. It just keeps doing what it does, year after year, because the community keeps showing up. That's a rare thing.
“If you're new to Cambridge and want to understand what makes this city feel different from the suburbs you just left — start with Reid's. Walk in, smell the chocolate, talk to whoever's behind the counter. You'll understand pretty quickly why people have been coming back for 75 years.”
I visited Reid's and captured it all on video — the store, the history, and what makes it a Cambridge institution. Watch the full reel on Instagram.
Watch on Instagram →Where to Find Them
Reid's now has three locations across the region, with the flagship store on Ainslie Street in downtown Cambridge being the one that started it all. They offer free pickup, flat-rate local delivery, and ship nationwide.
Cambridge, ON
519.621.6988
Old Quebec Street Mall, Guelph
Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph & Ayr.
Ships nationwide.
to live in Cambridge?
