CHEF MICHAEL SMITH – Transforming cuisine on Canada’s east coast, one plate at a time.

His passion for his craft only grew abroad, and after returning home, Smith spent time gaining experience and perfecting his art, working under David Bouley at the number one restaurant in the United States, Bouley. All this success in such a short period of time might make any up and coming chef stop to pinch themselves, but for Smith, there was something more he longed for. He knew from a young age that he wanted to focus his culinary career by incorporating simple, sustainable ingredients grown from his own garden, helping families to better connect with each other and what’s on their plate. That doesn’t seem like too much to ask, right? Well, it turns out, as a young man living in one of the biggest cities in the world, finding a backyard that you can call home was going to be far more difficult than he’d anticipated. And so in his early 20’s, Smith took a leap of faith, uprooted his life, and relocated to Prince Edward Island, Canada. Thus began his now incredibly successful and internationally known career at the Inn at Bay Fortune in PEI.

Seven short years later, his career skyrocketed. He has since netted himself 5 Food Network television shows…Chef at Home, The Inn Chef, Chef Abroad, Chef at Large and Chef Michael’s Kitchen, started his own web series called Lentil Hunter, created ten of his own unique cookbooks and earned a spot as a judge on Chopped Canada in 2012. No stranger to being busy, Smith has seamlessly filled the role of chef, author and television host admirably. But his two most important titles are that of husband and father, and it is here where his life ultimately finds meaning.

A humble advocate for a homegrown, family oriented experience, Smith and his wife Chastity agreed to purchase The Inn at Bay Fortune in 2015, and haven’t looked back. Completely revamping both the building and the grounds, the Smiths have created nothing short of a completely unique culinary experience for every guest they have the pleasure of serving. Staying true to his career-long focus on locally grown, sustainable ingredients, Smith’s restaurant, FireWorks, features a menu comprised entirely of vegetables and fruit harvested from the eight-acre organic farm surrounding the property. This is all perfectly complemented with locally sourced meat and fish, and a variety of wild mushrooms, kelp and greens foraged from natural growth all over the island.

An evening at the Inn starts with a whimsical stroll around the gardens, where the staff prepare unique cocktails and fresh appetisers over five authentic, wood-burning fires.