Fogo Island has a singular set of cultural foodways that are essential to our community identity and heritage. The foods we grow, hunt, forage, and fish make us who we are as Fogo Islanders and Newfoundlanders & Labradorians.

The food ecosystem of a community is where the environment, health, culture, and the economy converge. And we know firsthand that a healthy food system reinforces the values of a healthy economy. For this reason, Fogo Island’s foodways have always been integral to Shorefast’s work.

Over the years, our food programming ethos has been most visible through Fogo Island Inn’s kitchen. By activating the cultural heritage and natural assets of the place, we have helped create a new regional cuisine, brought forward contemporary ways of using local ingredients, broadened what can be grown on the island, and created new markets that support local growers and fishers. Our community Food Circle events, sustainable seaweed growing initiatives, and our involvement in the annual Partridgeberry Festival are additional examples of how Shorefast is working to showcase and activate local foodways.