Getting closer: A distanced update

This piece of art by local artist Stanley Wany (instagram.com/stanwany/) from @WallSpaceOttawa will soon be displayed proudly at 102 Fairmont. We couldn’t think of a more perfect image to represent for us the idea of life in this pandemic time.
 
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We don’t know what the artist was seeking to convey, but for us, this is all about how we relate to each other and how much we are now doing it via laptops, tablets and phones. When local photographer @justinvl took this photo in 2017, who could have predicted what was to come…
 
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But it arrived. And thanks to amazing partners like @Shopify and local designer & digital specialist @ALL_CAPS, The Merry Dairy became a pickup and delivery shop, delivering all over Ottawa and picking up at 102 Fairmont with cars on the left and bikes and feet on the right!

What is re-opening when a wave 2 is a possibility? Like many, it’s gradual. We keep going with masking, constant hand-washing & sanitization, distancing. and a takeout window. Local artist Devin from our Colour Your Cone contest shows us how.

 

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Starting Sunday, June 14th at 2pm, there will be a change to how we operate to balance re-opening with continued distancing. The first is that The Merry Dairy pickup window will be opening that day serving the same takeaway menu as what’s online at shop.themerrydairy.com!

(no scoops yet!)

 

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That means that the standing outside of the shop will be a little different and to help, soon there will be distancing circles on the ground (like @twister only without the twisting). Blue is for picking up pre-orders. And red is for takeaway on the spot.
 
 
 
The tables will need to remain unused. Local artist Mary Richardson shows us how (mostly)!
 
 
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But what about the scoops?? Not yet! 🙂 We’ll need to get used to the window, and the flow of people around the shop. For now, it’s the online menu of pints, sandwiches, Merry Pops, & cakes, with the difference being that we can better serve walkups!
 
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The painting above was a work by local artist Lauren (instagram.com/oeuvresparlaur…). As summer rolls on, our trucks will also be brought back into service – one in our lot serving soft serve, one doing deliveries and one always at a remote, yet soon-to-be-disclosed, location …
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And here’s to #613Day, held annually on June 13th (6/13!)
 

To mark the day, welcome Sailor Dude, (instagram.com/trp613/) whose favourite flavour vegan chocolate & salted toffee is available Sat for pre-order beginning at 2pm with an extra free Sailor Dude sticker included with each order!

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Pickup and Delivery – How it works!

Updates – September, 2022

Online orders at shop.themerrydairy.com  with pickup and delivery options! 

Same-day Pickups & Next-day Deliveries

  • Same-day pickup during regular business hours (Hours are seasonal!)
  • Next-day delivery Wed-Sat between 3-7pm anywhere in Ottawa. (Yes – anywhere in Ottawa! 🙂
  • Order before 2pm for next-day delivery
  • Minimum $40 order for free delivery. 

Pickups

Pick up at our shop at 102 Fairmont Ave beginning at noon during regular business hours

DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

  • We deliver Wednesday to Saturday between 3-7 pm. Order by 2 pm for next-day delivery!
  • If you are inside an apartment or condo please leave a buzz code or other contact instructions, ie mobile #. 
  • If you are not available to accept delivery of your order, it will be returned to our shop for pickup and you will be notified.
  • If you require delivery by a certain time, please indicate in the notes of your order. While we cannot guarantee a specific delivery time, we will do our very very best to meet it!

 

BIKE DELIVERY?

  • Yes!
  • Live in Zone 1 (Hintonburg/Wellington West)? We deliver by bike when possible, weather permitting
  • Live in Zones 2, 3 or 4 (Glebe/Centretown, Carlington, Westboro)? We deliver by bike when possible, weather and volume of deliveries permitting 🙂

 

 

Let’s Get Physical … (Distancing)

 

Hello Ottawa!

 

We’re back. From a distance. Beginning Wednesday, April 1, we’re getting with the curve and beginning physical distancing with pint and sandwich parking lot back-door pick up and same-day home delivery! Please note that our scoop shop remains closed until further notice.

 

That means you can order from TheMerryDairy.com and either set up a time to come on foot, by bike or by car for back door pick-up or if you have a minimum $35 order, we will bring your order to any address in the City of Ottawa!

 

While there will not be scooped ice cream for the foreseeable future, contactless pickup and delivery is our new reality. We appreciate your patience in advance for any kinks or delays and we will work to stay in touch with you every step of the way!

 

How will pick up work?

 

Our front entrance will remain closed. All of our pickups will happen from our back entrance, where we will place an order in the truck of your car, or leave outside for you to pick up?

 

When you order online, you will see a choice for pick up or home delivery. If you choose to pick up, you will receive an email when your placed and then a second email when your order is fulfilled! Once you receive the second email, you can pick up your order anytime on foot during our reduced business hours (Tues-Sun noon-9pm or by car drive-thru from noon-2pm) by coming to 102 Fairmont and observing the physical distancing signs for cars, bike or on foot pickup. Simply text us at 613-912-2979 when you arrive and give us your last name and car make/model is applicable, and we’ll pop out with your order!

 

How will you make sure my ice cream doesn’t melt?!

 

By texting us once you arrive, we can make sure that your order goes from our freezer to you as quickly as possible. Then it’s up to you to get that ice cream home as quickly as possible!

 

How will delivery work?

 

Pick the delivery option at our online checkout! We deliver between 3 and 7pm from Wednesday to Sunday! Please make sure you enter your mobile number when your order so that when we arrive at your door we can text you to come out to our truck to pick up your order (this counts for houses and apartment buildings!) Your order will be handed out to you from the truck!

 

What if I’m not home?

 

We get it. We have a three-hour window, and even though we’re all staying home these days, you might just be out when you arrive. After we text, we will wait for about five minutes. If you’re not there, we will keep your order frozen and bring it back to our shop at 102 Fairmont, where you can pick it up (see above for pick up details!)

 

What flavours do you have? 

 

Our pint and ice cream sandwich choices are constantly updated, but supplies are always limited. If you don’t see your favourite flavour, that means it’s sold out! We will be making small batches every day and will always update our choices online!

 

How are you practicing social distancing at your workplace?

 

Our team is everything to us, which means that working at 1o2 Fairmont is also physically distant. When possible, we will only have one employee working in production and in order fulfilment. When we have more than one person, we have the two-metre rule. And we clean, clean, clean, clean, clean all the time!

 

The Great St. Paddy’s Day Poetry Tag …

This is a picture of a St. Paddy's Day cake that can be won if you enter The Merry Dairy's poetry tag contest!

What is the rhyme of our time?

What makes us immerse in verse?

 

Why it’s The Merry Dairy’s first-ever … Poetry Tag!

 

Because St. Paddy’s Day is about all things Irish and one great Irish thing is poetry!

 

And one great thing about poetry is that we’re all a poet and probably don’t even know it!

 

So here’s a way to have a chance to win a Merry Dairy Shamrock Cake made up of layers of The Merry Dairy’s three St. Patrick Day flavours

 

☘️Happy-Go-Lucky (Charms)☘️
☘️Finnegans Wake (made with Irish Whiskey)☘️
☘️Irish Breakfast (Brown Bread & Orange Marmalade)☘️

 

How does it work?

 

Write a line, a verse or a stanza that would be part of the following poem … An Ode to Ottawa – Why do (or how can) I love thee?

 

The line, verse or stanza can be in any form – a rhyme, a limerick, iambic pentameter, haiku, a lowercase ee cummings sort of thing, or an ALLCAPS RANT! Happy, Sad, Funny, Beauty, or any other emotion!

 

Along with your poetry bit, tag a friend.

 

For every poem + tag, it’s one entry! Enter as often as you would like – each tag must be accompanied by an original poetry fragment.!

 

ValentinesForAll

 

 

What is it about Valentines Day that makes it so … unloved?

 

Could it be that it’s about some but not all?

 

But what if Valentines Day could be for all?

 

On Valentines Day weekend, from noon on Friday, February 14 to 8pm on Sunday, February 16, it’s the Lonely (& Hungry) Hearts Club weekend at 102 Fairmont!

 

All weekend long on the Lonely Hearts Club wall, anyone can leave a cone for anyone else. Buy one cone and get a second cone that you can leave on the wall for anyone else.

 

Did you think someone else out there might like the same double scooped salted caramel and cookies and cream cone that you just bought? You can leave that cone on that wall for anyone else to claim when they come in.  Or maybe it’s an Earl Grey Sugar Plumped Fig Plant-Based with a side of Raspberry Sorbet that you and someone out there might also enjoy.

 

Of course, you can always choose to offer your cone from the Merry Dairy’s list of daily dairy and plant-based flavours to the one you’re with … all weekend long to the sounds of The Merry Dairy Lonely (and Hungry) Hearts Playlist!

 

#ValentinesDayForAll

#LonelyHeartsClub

#HungryHearts

#AllforOneandOneforAll

 

2019 in two minutes & 24 hours of musical flavours to 2020!

 

 

At 102 Fairmont or by a Merry Dairy truck, 2019 was all about walking on sunshine or was it about the rhythm of the night, or maybe it was travelling down an old town road on your superbike, or the lovely Merry Dairy theme song composed by Allie Goodyear, music made the year!

 

It was a year of playlists …

 

The Fathers Day 2019 Playlist – on Google Play on Spotify

Mothers Day at The Merry Dairy – on Google Play on Spotify

The Merry Dairy Canada Day Playlist – on Google Play on Spotify

#CoverMeOttawa! on Google Play on Spotify

 

 

 

 

 

So for this year’s $5 thank you, for the next 24 hours until noon, Sunday, December 29, 2019, fill out the form below and name a song, any song, any decade, any genre, that you think would be a great name for an ice cream flavour (dairy or vegan!) and why and even what could be in the flavour (hopefully nut-free because we’re nut-free!). For example, Brass Monkey by the Beastie Boys, or maybe Bye Bye Mon Cowboy by Mitsou*.  (*please suggest other songs :)!

 

So .. here’s how to claim your $5 gift certificate in three easy steps, in the next 24 hours …

 

Step 1: Decide what song would make a great flavour and why
Step 2: Fill in the form below or here!

 

Your gift certificate will be emailed to you the weekend of January 4th! It will have no expiry date and can be used at 102 Fairmont or at a Merry Dairy Truck event!

 

And thank you for helping raise over $800 to support Orkidstra during the month of December – an amazing community organization that opens up musical worlds of possibilities for kids all over Ottawa!

 

 

 

 

 

 

See you February 1, 2020, for National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day!

And here are the suggested flavour songs!

 

 

 

 

 

24 Days in December and ….

 

All December long … 3% of gross sales will be donated to Orkidstra!

 

 

And then … it’s Merry NameOfTheDay!

 

 

It all begins with a name, or two, or three .. every day from December 1 to 24

 

 

See your name, get a cone that day from The Merry Dairy’s selection of dairy and plant-based flavours, including all holiday flavours.

 

 

Names revealed daily on Twitter, Facebook and at TheMerryDairy.com beginning December 1!

Is your name on the list? What if it’s not? Easy! Just add it to the comments, and like North Pole magic, it will be on the list!

 

But wait! There’s more … Holiday Flavours!

 

Try one – try them all! In pints, or scoops! Visit TheMerryDairy.com to see today’s scoops, and see all the pints available for pickup at shop.themerrydairy.com!

 

 

Procrastinate much over the holidays?

 

Then please ignore this special offer of $5 off this year’s yule log creation – Woodland Wonderland, available until November 30! Order online for pickup beginning December 5!

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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We are taking orders for our Woodland Wonderland Yule Log ice cream cakes 🎄 with 3 combinations to choose from, each comes with fairytale forest treats (Christmas tree sugar cookies and merengue mushrooms) 🍄 🍄 all cakes are gluten free and serve 12. You can order up until December 9th, but there is a special price if ordered by Nov 30th! flavour combinations are gingerbread with rum and eggnog and a ribbon of our salted caramel, mango sorbet with raspberry sorbet, OR peppermint crackle with a ribbon of chocolate. #handmadefrozentreats #icecreamcake #rumandeggnog #sorbet #candycaneicecream #yulelogcake #ottawadesserts #myottawa #hintonburg

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Halloween in three spoooky parts …

The First Part …

 

The Great Pumpkin Patch …

 

Pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins … 

 

From now until Halloween, bring a carved pumpkin and get a free kids cone! Carve one in the pumpkin patch at 102 Fairmont, or bring one from home.

 

Then place it by the Great Pumpkin Tree as The Merry Dairy prepares for the visit of the Great Pumpkin on Saturday, October 27th with a 7pm screening, (with hot chocolate “affigados”) of …

 

 

 

 

The Second Part …

Eaarrly Halloween!

According to the City of Ottawa, we are now a city of one million …. residents …  and a hideously outdated Wikipedia page says 18.9% of them are potential trick or treaters … 

 

except that …

 

out of those 189,000 trick or treaters, for whatever reason … some of them simply cannot trick or treat … and as a result, they will miss the door to door adventure that awaits all who wish to partake in All Hallows Eve ..

 

Can’t go door-to-door on October 31? Halloween can come right to your door anywhere in Ottawa with special boo-scary visits by one of The Scary Dairy trucks beginning Sunday night, October 27 and Wednesday, October 30. Each visit is a chance to bring a bag of Halloween nut-free treats, including Scary Dairy scoops! All visits between 7-9pm. Want to reserve your scary visit? Send an email to info@themerrydairy.com and indicate which day, which address, and what time!

 

 

The third part …

 

The Scary Dairy at 102 Fairmont …!

 

On Halloween night, drop by and warm up, enjoy a sample cone and all the spooky night has to offer …

 

 

A pie, some pints, some sweaters and pots ….

Is there a more lovely time to be in Ottawa? Blue skies and leaves full of colour make sure we remember September, shoulder October so that we all can be convinced to celebrate December in November with lights full of colour.

 

Thanksgiving awaits, and as our senses are awed by the leaves outside our doorsteps, inside our dwellings, the aroma of a fresh-baked apple pie promises a fine finish to a Thanksgiving (or any other kind) of get-together, or the fun of bringing one home, already baked, ready-to-serve, and made-from-scratch.

 

While supplies last, order a pie online and pick two of your favourite pints to go with it, all for a special price.  Pick up on the day you like, whether frozen -to-bake-at-home with straightforward and easy-to-follow directions, or get it baked and pick it up fresh that day.

 

Tooling around the edges of Ottawa Thanksgiving Sunday?

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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@angrydragonz I couldn’t resist! One more week!! #sweaterweathermarket #thegreelycollective

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The greely collective hosts the sweater weather market Thanksgiving Sunday from 11am to 4pm in Greely where The Merry Dairy sccop truck will be featuring its fall dairy and plant-based flavours scoops and pints all afternoon long.  Want to guarantee pints (and/or a pie) will be waiting for you? Order in advance and use the code “GREELY” at The Merry Dairy online and they will be waiting for you for pickup when the truck arrives at Orchard View Events and Conference Centre!

 

And along with all of the other lovely crafts and gifts available, The Merry Dairy ice cream pots will be available for sale or advance purchase. Designed by local artist Steffi Acevado, these works of pottery bring together the best of presentation in a re-usable container.  Then get your ice cream refills anytime at 1o2 Fairmont and pay by the ounce (or gram!) 🙂

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Stocked @themerrydairy ! Just dropped off 8 pint pots to be filled with delicious ice cream over and over again! Lucky pots 😝🍦 #supportlocal #besticecream #sweetcollaborations #ottawabusiness

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The Merry Dairy will be closed Thanksgiving Monday, and then back for (hopefully) sunny October skies … and all Hallow’s Eve … 

 

Morning on the Lièvre, David Bairstow, provided by the National Film Board of Canada