In Nature | By Jill Brown | August 3, 2023
5 Reasons to Spend this Berry Season on Fogo Island
1. This is your last opportunity to celebrate our tenth anniversary with us.
2023 has marked a milestone moment for Fogo Island Inn. We’ve been providing our singular brand of hospitality for a decade and we look forward with renewed vigour for the decades to come.
We held a community birthday party in May, where we celebrated with music, recitations, and of course, cake; we extended an opportunity for our community members to stay with us once again; and for our guests, we are upgrading and expanding our immersive activities and offerings and experimenting with foraged ingredients in cocktails and new menu items.
If visiting Fogo Island Inn during our tenth anniversary has been sitting on your to-do list, reach out to our Reservations Team. They are here to help you plan a seamless journey to Fogo Island.
2. Fogo Island becomes a berry patch.
Berry picking is a popular Fogo Island pastime, given there are more than 20 kinds of berries growing wild here in abundance. Guests can join our Community Hosts to berry pick then later learn how to bottle and bake using their harvest, as we have done here for hundreds of years. Or you can just grab a handful as you hike and enjoy your mini harvest at peak freshness.
Our Outdoor Adventure guides are also experts in the island’s botanicals. They’ll help you identify wild greens, mushrooms, flowers, and berries that are safe and delicious to eat or use in teas and cocktails. Expect to nibble along the way, then enjoy an infusion on your return.
3. Our culinary offerings reflect the island’s bounty.
As berries are abundant, our culinary team incorporates condiments, jams, jellies, and shrubs into the menu. This is the season for foraging porcini mushrooms and hops blossoms, which are added like a spice to breads or infused in oils.
Fogo Islanders harvest cabbage, carrots, squash, and turnips – island staples for centuries, which still hold the sweetness of summer. Tree fruits are readily available, such as cherries, plums, and tart little apples, their taste intensified through light salting.
Cod fishing is in full swing, so it’s a time to enjoy fresh, smoked, or salt cod. The caribou hunt is underway across Newfoundland, providing wild game.
Our menu is an expression of local foodways. Every dish tells a story of here, of the growers, fishers, hunters, and foragers who share their bounty with us.
4. Cooler temperatures offer an opportunity to get creative.
Not everyone enjoys ambling along the hills and shorelines, hunting for the perfect berry-picking location, and we understand that. Creating something with your hands is a meditative experience; we offer guests the opportunity to learn the basics of quilt making from a master quilter at The Winds & Waves Artisans Guild or take part in a pottery class led by Fogo Clay Studio owner and experienced potter Sarah Fulford.
Spend an afternoon in Tilting, learning the storied history and skilled artisan practice of quilting, or customize a visit to the clay studio, where you can create pieces by hand building or on the pottery wheel. We will ensure your creations are glazed, fired, and shipped safely to your home.
5. We’re welcoming back an old friend.
After Berry Season comes Late Fall and we’re excited to welcome back Afrim Pristine, Canada’s leading cheese expert, the world’s youngest maître fromager, and owner of Toronto’s Cheese Boutique. This year will mark Afrim’s fifth visit to Fogo Island and as a celebration of our tenth anniversary, Afrim will be joined by Franco Stalteri, co-founder of the renowned Charlie’s Burgers Wine Program.
Afrim and Franco will join our Executive Chef, Tim Charles, to lead a variety of culinary-inspired experiences. They will share their knowledge of celebrated and mouth-watering wines and cheeses through guided tastings, paired dinners, and community immersion.
Please inquire with our Reservations Team about our Berry Season availability. They can also provide more information on our experiences, or you can chat with our Guest Experiences Team once you’ve arrived.
International Reservations: +1-709-658-7260
US & Canada Reservations: +1-855-268-9277
or email [email protected]
