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The history of Toronto's infamous 'patty wars'

Chris Middleton

created: Sept. 1, 2025, 4:20 a.m. | updated: Sept. 2, 2025, 9:46 p.m.

A beef patty — or, as you will learn, legally a "Jamaican patty” — is a staple of Toronto cuisine. Here's a bit of the spicy history of what is known as the "patty wars." It was during this period that the Davidsons moved to Toronto, and opened up a bakery named "Kensington Patty Palace." Under that act, it classified a "beef patty" as "shaped lean beef, ground or boneless, and may contain seasonings, but no other ingredients." Davidson held a party at Kensington Patty Palace to celebrate the win on Feb. 23 — which is now officially designated as "Patty Day" in Toronto.

1 month, 1 week ago: blogTO