From the North Sea to the North Atlantic

Old lighthouse at Verdens Ende (the World's End), Tjome, Norway

The question we hear most often at The Keeper’s Kitchen is, “How did you both end up here, doing this?”

It all started on a sailboat off the coast of Notterøy, Norway in June 2020.

At that point, I’d been living abroad for over a decade, carrying Newfoundland in my heart, but never truly feeling its pull to go back permanently – not until the world paused.

When Covid hit, that distance suddenly felt immense. The uncertainty, the fear of never seeing loved ones again, and the ache for the rugged coastlines of home hit me like a tsunami.

On that sunny day, while drifting between the Norwegian islands of Lindholmen and Gåsø, Reidar and I found ourselves talking about the future, the kind of life we might lead once he retired.

My Norwegian Sailor!!

One of us mentioned the old house in St. Shotts, my childhood home, and the possibility of doing something with it. In an instant, the entire vision for The Keeper’s Kitchen dropped into my brain – It would be an Inn that blended my Newfoundland roots, and his Norwegian ones, with our shared love for great food, music, and community.

More and more ideas rushed in – the name, the house concerts, the renovation plans, and even the first menus – all within minutes.

We rushed back to shore, sketched out floor plans, and started reaching out to my family back in Newfoundland for measurements and advice.

Over the next year, we planned from afar, and when the world finally reopened, we returned to St. Shotts to get started on bringing our dream to life.

Within just five months of intensive work (two months in the fall of '21 and three months in the spring of '22), the old house was transformed into the inn you see today.

Now moving into our fourth season, we’re still in awe of what this place has become, and will be forever grateful for the winds that pushed us home.

At home in The Keeper's Kitchen Inn