Fogo Island Inn has new executive chef

St. John’s native Jonathan Gushue returning to his Newfoundland and culinary roots

Chef Jonathan Gushue is returning to his roots in more than ways than one, having been named the new executive chef for the Fogo Island Inn.

Gushue, in his mid 40s, is a native of St. John’s and started his culinary career with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Over the next decade, he worked in kitchens in Japan and the United Kingdom before returning to Canada, where he worked in St. John’s, Vancouver and Toronto.

In 2005, Gushue accepted his first executive position at the Langdon Hall Country House Hotel and Spa, where he won awards such as Forbes Top 100 Restaurants in the World and Canadian Chef of the Year 2010, as well as Ontario Chef of the Year 2011.

Most recently, he was a co-owner and executive chef at The Berlin Restaurant in Kitchener, Ont.

“I am very much looking forward to joining one of Canada’s premier properties,” Gushue stated in a news release from the hotel, which was recently named in the Diners Club 50 Best Discover Series as one of the six best in North America.

“To create with such a talented group of people in such a unique setting is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

At the Inn, Gushue joins chef Tim Charles and a kitchen team that strives to create local food that is complemented by culinary traditions and techniques from outside the province without compromising the province’s cuisine.

“We are delighted to be deepening our commitment to Newfoundland culinary development and innovation with Newfoundland born chef Jonathan Gushue,” stated innkeeper and founder Zita Cobb. “His approach to food celebrates tradition with imagination.”

Gushue is set to start Feb. 1, 2018.

Gushue made headlines for a reason other than his culinary skills in January 2013 when his family reported him missing for more than a week. It wasn’t the first time he had disappeared for days at a time, but the length of time on this occasion prompted relatives to contact police.

With the assistance of another police agency, Ontario police were able to locate Gushue outside of Ontario.

PHOTO BY STAN RICHARDS After spending the bulk of the last 20 years making a name for himself as a chef throughout Canada and around the world, Jonathan Gushue will return to the province this winter to take on the role of executive chef at the Fogo Island Inn.