A sweet farewell: Beloved Cambridge butter tart bakery closing its doors

They are ooey and gooey and they are going to be missed.

As Dee’s Bakery in Cambridge approaches the milestone of selling 2.5. million butter tarts, it is getting ready to close its doors for the last time on Nov. 30.

The bakery on St. Andrews Street has been in Cambridge since 2013.

Butter tart fans from the city and beyond are left saddened by the news as they say a final farewell to their heavenly treat, a butter tart that is truly “something to die for.”

Longtime customer Beryl Moffat is heartbroken by the news of the closure of the beloved bakery.

“I used to drive out to get the butter tarts when the shop was on Highway 97, before it moved here,” Moffat said.

“They are the best. They are so gooey. I love the runny bits. The butter tarts freeze well too. I will miss them.”

Fans of Dee’s Bakery have only a few more weeks to get their orders in. Kaitlynd Wilson, a baker at the shop, says orders have been pouring in since news of the closure was announced.

“We have three employees now baking non-stop trying to keep up with the demand before we close,” Wilson said.

“People are buying them up and freezing them. We will be baking non-stop until we close.”

Freezing the tarts might help keep the memory alive or maybe fans of Dee’s Bakery just cannot say goodbye.

“We have our regulars, that’s for sure, but we still have new customers from all over, even from the States,” Wilson said.

“People are really sad to see us go.”

And for Wilson, the closure is bittersweet.

“It’s such a calm and happy place. People are always so friendly and there is no stress here. People come in because they are excited to see freshly baked butter tarts come right out of the oven,” Wilson said.

“Everyone just loves them. I am so sad to see this place close. I’ve worked in lots of different bakeries, but this by far, is my favourite.”

Since the very beginning, every single butter tart sold has been counted.

“We’ve kept count the whole time by trays of 24. We usually make about 500 butter tarts a day,” Wilson said.

“We have the two millionth butter tart still sitting in our freezer.”

Made with an old-school, hand-made approach and with only the best natural ingredients, the butter tarts are said to be just gooey enough to be rich and tasty, without being messy.

“They are certainly the only ones I like. Some people really like the crispy edges. They also like the runniness inside and the pastry is so good too. And these butter tarts are big. We make them in muffin tins,” Wilson said.

“People just love all of the flavours we have to offer too, such as Skor or peanut butter."

Other flavours include, plain, walnut, raisin, coconut, chocolate chip and Caramilk.

The award-winning butter tart recipe was created in 1996 by Dee Miller, affectionately known as 'the queen of tarts.'

Her mouth-watering butter tarts were first found on the shelves at Dee’s General Store on Regional Road 97, near the Valens Conservation area.

In 2013, Miller made the move to Cambridge and Dee’s Bakery became a local staple.

It was the place for a wedding proposal for a young local couple, and a favourite go-to for anyone looking for a sweet or savoury fix of cookies, pies, and of course, butter tarts.

Besides meeting local demand, Miller often filled orders from as far away as England, Australia, Europe, Japan, and the United States.

Miller passed away last June. Fulfilling a childhood dream, Dee’s bakery was her passion.

“I really miss her,” Wilson says.

“Everyone loved Dee. She was always ready to help. When she was no longer mobile, she would call us, just to chat and see how things are. And she was a big supporter of the Humane Society. The bakery would always collect donations for them.”

“It’s so sad. Even during the pandemic, lot of stores were closing but we were still going strong. But since Dee’s passing, everything changed.”

Dee’s Bakery says that it has been a pleasure serving the Cambridge community.

“We couldn’t have done it without our valuable employees, past and present, and our loyal and amazing customers,” Dee’s Bakery says on its website.

“We wish you well in your pursuit of the “next butter tart to die for.'"