Gather On The Cape
At the edge of Newfoundland's rugged coastline, where the Atlantic meets windswept cliffs and coastal flora, Chef Alex Shaw is crafting a culinary experience that's as rooted in the land as it is inspired by the sea.
Standing in Cape Broyle, Newfoundland, I listen to the rhythmic sounds of the waves lapping the shore as I breathe in the salty sea air.
Chef Alex Shaw hands me a soft green leaf: "Try this," she says. "Tell me what you taste."
I bite into the tender leaf, and my mouth bursts with an unexpected briny flavour — the taste of the sea, rich and savoury, just like...an oyster?
"Yes! It's an oyster plant," Alex explains with enthusiasm.
We are on a coastal foraging walk, just down the road from the soon-to-open Cape Retreat. This 5-acre property will feature six modern cabins tucked into the forested hills above the picturesque fishing community of Cape Broyle. Located along Newfoundland's iconic Irish Loop, the retreat offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic — but that's only part of the allure.
The heart of the retreat is Alex Shaw's innovative culinary program, designed to immerse guests in the flavours and stories of Newfoundland.
Co-founders Dave Lank and Sam Follett have long dreamed of creating a sanctuary that blends elevated design with a deep sense of community, and the Cape Retreat is their vision come to life.
The retreat checks off all the boxes. It has iconic Newfoundland scenery along the southern shore of the Avalon Peninsula, just an hour from St. John's, the province's colourful capital city. There is a thoughtful, modern design that feels in perfect harmony with the coastal landscape, with the ocean on one side and dense forest on the other.
Sam's deep connection to the local community, where she has a home, further weaves the retreat into the fabric of Cape Broyle.
But it was a chance meeting with Alex a couple of years ago that inspired Dave and Sam to take the retreat in an unexpected direction — food. While the pair were adamant they didn't want to run a restaurant on the property, they were intrigued by Alex's idea of a gathering place that centred around culinary experiences.
And so the culinary program at the Cape was born and will begin in late fall 2024. The cabins will follow shortly behind, with an opening date set for 2025.
To understand Alex's vision for the Cape, it is vital to understand her passion for food.
The first time I met Alex, we were on the opposite coast, in Victoria, both attending the IMPACT Sustainability in Travel & Tourism conference.
Alex sat down at our table for lunch and proceeded to wow us with her culinary tales and her passion for a no-waste kitchen. She spoke about her life in Newfoundland, her love of foraging for wild ingredients, and her frustration that the trend towards foraging was leading to more food waste.
"One of the biggest problems with foraging is that people gather all these ingredients in their basket and then they don't know what to do with it so it ends up in the garbage," she said.
When Alex invited me to visit her in Newfoundland to see her latest project at the Cape, I jumped at the chance to see how she would incorporate her passion for sustainability into her new role as Culinary Director.
Alex's vision is to root people in a sense of place, whether they are travellers coming from afar or locals coming for a weekend getaway, and to help them disconnect from everyday stresses while reconnecting with their environment — or as Alex puts it, "keeping your head where your feet are."
And she is doing this in traditional Newfoundland fashion, by layering storytelling into every experience.
Inside the cabins, for example, she is planning to add a box for people to store their cellphones out of sight, replacing it instead with a scavenger hunt guide for foraging ingredients on the property to make a wild tea.
"We really want to show people that foraging isn't a fad, it's a way of life."
As Alex and I forage along the coast, sampling wild ingredients that she will later incorporate into a spectacular lunch, she tells me more about her vision.
"The experiences will fluctuate based on season," Alex says. To start, she plans on offering a forage and feast experience that takes guests out on the land — either on a coastal walk like we are doing or into the dreamy forest — to harvest wild plants.
Photo: Braeden King
Photo: Braeden King
When they return to the property, guests will be invited into the Greene's House for a multi-course tasting menu that incorporates the foraged ingredients.
Once a home for the Greene family, the structure that sat on the property when Dave and Sam bought it is being redesigned as a huge culinary space with a wall of windows to maximize the gorgeous view of the sea. It is named the Greene's House in honour of the family.
A rendering of the Greene's House, which will house Alex Shaw's new culinary program at the Cape Retreat.
A rendering of the Greene's House, which will house Alex Shaw's new culinary program at the Cape Retreat.
"It will feel like walking into a chef's dream home kitchen," Alex says of the space.
Her excitement is contagious and even though the space is still an active construction zone when I visit, I can picture the warmth of a wood stove welcoming me back after a hike or enjoying a cup of tea in a mug made by a local potter.
As we stand in the spot where she plans to put a communal harvest table, I'm not surprised that her vision is about much more than food.
From the foraging walks to sitting around a communal table enjoying multi-course meals, the underlying theme is story — the story of place, the story of culture and the story of tradition.
During the colder months, Alex wants the space to become a place for the community to share and preserve culture through workshops and retreats that focus on traditional Newfoundland crafts.
"I feel like if we keep taking tourism in this direction, towards the preservation of culture, it will give back to communities in a meaningful way," she said.
An artist rendering of the space inside the Greene's House. Alex Shaw will use this space to showcase local food, as well as local art and craft.
An artist rendering of the space inside the Greene's House. Alex Shaw will use this space to showcase local food, as well as local art and craft.
Alex loves nothing more than gathering friends, family and strangers (who will soon become friends) around a communal table.
Shortly after our walk, Alex invited me to her house — located in nearby Tors Cove — for a meal where she incorporates the many wild plants we foraged.
Just like in Alex's home kitchen, guests at The Cape will be invited to step into the Greene's House at any time, whether for a casual chat over tea or to watch Alex work her magic as she prepares each dish with care.
“If the lights are on, you’re welcome to come in,” she says warmly. "I want to pull away the veil of mystery that surrounds how food is created."
When you take away the mystery, she says, you gain an appreciation and respect for the ingredients and the place from which they come.
"We want people to leave here with a feeling that not only have they had a positive experience," Alex says. "But they've also made a positive impact in the community."
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