Victoria has gone crazy for this Metchosin cookie house
Amid the tranquil sounds and sights of Witty’s Lagoon is the legend of a sugary oasis called the Crazy Cookie House.
Ryan Hook
March 02, 2023
The wacky house can only fit two adults at a time, but for over a year now, it’s kept locals in Metchosin full of warm, gooey, and fuzzy feelings.
Now, thanks to a viral TikTok video, the owners say all of Victoria has figured out the legend of the Crazy Cookie House. The TikTok video has amassed close to 300,000 views.
“We got text after text from friends telling us [about the video],” says owner and baker Helen McArthur. “My phone was blowing up with all the followers on social media,” adds husband and graphic designer David McArthur.
The Crazy Cookie House is a modest operation, consisting mostly of the McArthur family. The mother, Helen, is the baker and brains behind the operation; the father, David, is the graphic designer and social media manager; daughter Freya comes up with the wacky cookie concepts; and their son Max is the dedicated taste taster and kitchen helper.
“The community is so great here [in Metchosin],” Helen said. “We were really inspired to do this seeing all of the roadside farmstands.”
David and Helen are originally from England, but moved to Vancouver Island over a decade ago. They lived in downtown Victoria, and then in Royal Bay, before settling in on the beautiful acreage in Metchosin.
Inspired by how community-oriented the Island is, they knew they wanted to offer something once they could. Instead of a little free library (which the McArthurs have now), the family started putting cookies in a little house their friend made for them. Being so close to Witty’s Lagoon, the cookies attracted runners, hikers, and passersby alike.
In fact, as I chatted with the McArthur family, a Metchosin local parked her car to ask whether there were any cookies (unfortunately, they’re closed on Tuesdays). She went on to rave about how much her and her grandkids love what the McArthurs have done.
Metchosin locals are clearly crazy for these cookies, and the McArthurs said within a year of offering cookies, they needed a better setup to help deal with the volume of people. So last summer, the McArthurs took their playhouse, and with the help of a friend, gave it a facelift.
Jordan Grant of West Coast Custom Homes totally redid the old house, resulting in a Piranesi-esque tiny home that Helen says is often compared to the sorting hat from Harry Potter.
Voila! Photo: Ryan Hook
The cookie house grew very naturally in popularity, and while Helen bakes whatever she can each week, she can’t promise that any cookies will be left, since it’s only open from Friday to Monday. Cookies start at $2, and Helen tries to offer vegan and gluten-free cookies as often as she can. In the house itself, people are encouraged to leave hand-written notes for other guests as they leave.
Also, the Crazy Cookie House has a mythical garden aching to be explored, with little notes, tiny gnomes, a dragon named Doug H., knick-knacks, and giant footprints leading guests to the fantastic-looking cookie house.
It’s a humble story like so many Vancouver Island businesses, such as Tacofino, which started from a food truck, or Noodlebox, which was born out of a small food cart in Chinatown. Now, both are bonafide franchises.
There’s no telling what may happen next to the Crazy Cookie House—Helen says they’re thinking of doing farmer's markets this summer.
The one thing you can count always count on is that their cookies will be crazy.
Travellers can find the Crazy Cookie House open Friday to Monday, across the street from the Metchosin Golf Course between the St. Mary Church and Montessori School.
