I really wanted to enjoy this tour but 5 out of the 8 places that we visited had samples available to the general public. We were told to walk around and taste. These places were within the tourist area of Williamsburg and could have been located by an individual walking throught this part of town. The highlight of the tour was the Blue Talon, not just the macaroni and cheese sample but the company of the other guests on the tour. The food preparation took about 10-15 minutes which gave us time to get to know those we had just spent 2 hours with during the tour. At the final stop, a chocolate bakery, while we did just taste the general public samples, it was nice to be greeted by the owner. It is obvious how much she enjoys her shop and appeared eager to please her customers.
I was a bit surprised at how strongly tipping is emphasized on the website. If tipping the tour guide is to be expected, then it should be included in the fee. Several of us on the tour found it awkward at the end and while we were walking back to our cars, another couple shared they thought the tip was part of the fee.
Our tour guide was really nice and recommended the dessert tour; however, I am on the fence as to whether I would recommend this particular tour to others. While we did enjoy the visit to Seasons and the Blue Talon, with a map of Merchants Square, the peanut shop, tea shop, candy shop, and ham shop could be found by a visitor.