Meet 6 of Our Food Suppliers

Located in Central Newfoundland, Mark’s Market is the definition of a family affair. It all started when Chris Oram’s father, Richard, bought a farm in 1987. For decades, Richard focused on selling to a wholesale buyer, until his eldest son wanted to go to university. To fund his tuition, Richard decided to expand and open Mark’s Market in 2002, named after said-son. His other son Chris joined him after completing his studies in Agriculture and the two are now also helped by Chris’ wife and two kids. “We grow everything from A to Z, apple to zucchini, and everything in between,” says Chris.

While operating a farm in Newfoundland has its challenges—notably the weather and rocky land—Chris loves “being able to feed a community and raising kids at the farm.” The farmer also highlights his partnership with the Inn’s Executive Chef Tim Charles, which he says has allowed them to grow produce not as popular with the general public who shops at Mark’s Market. “With Tim and Fogo Island Inn, we can really showcase our specialty items that we’re growing: ground cherries, radicchio, apples, plums, leeks, onions, raspberries, red and black currants, fresh herbs. Every winter, Tim and I are deciding which seeds to order for next season.”

Owned and operated by life partners Tavish Russell and Anja Sajovic, Farm on Forest is a small-scale vegetable and flower farm located within the historic Mount Scio Savoury Farm. From Ljubljana, Slovenia, Anja met Saskatoon-born Tavish during an academic exchange program in Sweden. She convinced him to move to Newfoundland for a year, where she had previously spent a month for a research trip conducted for her master’s degree in anthropology.

“That was in 2012, and we never looked back,” says Tavish. “We spent many weekends exploring Newfoundland. We would visit Fogo Island often, at least once a year, starting before the construction of the Inn finished. We felt a sense of magic on the island and always left recharged and inspired. It never crossed our minds on those visits that we would eventually start a farm and begin supplying the Fogo Island Inn’s kitchen.”

Like many, the pair spent the pandemic reflecting on what mattered to them, concluding that “wellness, adventure, and food are central pillars in our lives.” This realization pushed them to start a farm, teaching themselves growing techniques from books, podcasts, and YouTube. In 2021, they landed their lease at the farm, doubling their capacity every year and eventually abandoning their careers—Anja’s in hospitality and Tavish as an engineering consultant—to become full-time farmers. They believe that “food grown with care and intention has the potential of improving the health of the individual, the community, and the planet.” With the recent purchase of a new 7.5-acre farm in Goulds, shared with Mauzy Cider, their adventure in regenerative agriculture continues and we’re proud to be a part of it.

Chinched’s story starts on Fogo Island. “We have been in business for 15 years and have strong ties to the island as both my wife, Michelle LeBlanc, and I worked and lived there during the development stages of the Inn,” says co-owner Shaun Hussey. Michelle developed many of Growlers Ice Cream‘s signature recipes using Fogo Island’s natural assets.

During their time here, Shaun and Michelle were enjoying a boil-up on one of Fogo Island’s rocky beaches. After a feast of local seafood, they heard a Fogo Islander exclaim: “I’m chinched!” Once they were explained the meaning (“chinched” means to be full), the pair decided it would make a great name for a restaurant.

After running a restaurant in downtown St. John’s for several years, Shaun and Michelle pivoted their business to focus on the deli and wholesale portion, which includes providing the Inn with thoughtfully prepared charcuterie and artisanal meats.

Founded by Fogo Islander Anthony Cobb and his wife, Janice Thomson, Fogo Island Fish is one of our sister community businesses, also operated by Shorefast. It’s a community-based, hand-line, small-boat fishery enterprise working directly with the fishers of Fogo Island and the Fogo Island Co-operative Society. They provide the Inn with the highest quality North Atlantic cod and wild-caught seafood.

Beyond the Inn’s kitchen, Fogo Island Fish supplies fine-dining establishments across Canada with the best of our North Atlantic bounty. Their products are Ocean Wise recommended for their sustainable and ethical harvesting practices. The traditional handlining method, which uses one line, ensures minimal by-catch and a superior quality of fish.

Fogo Island Fish’ mission is to help rebuild the connection between our foodways and our communities, while revitalizing the local economy and continuing a proud legacy of fishing.