Taste our Island Award

Congratulations to The Mill in New Glasgow, winners of the 2015 Taste Our Island Award

To sample PEI cuisine at its very best, visit The Mill in New Glasgow. Owned by Chef Emily Wells, and winner of the coveted 2015 Taste Our Island Award, the restaurant is located in a beautifully restored grain mill in the heart of New Glasgow farming country and near the fishing harbours of North Rustico.

Emily was born in London, England, but her family has Prince Edward Island roots that date back to the 1800s. Her ancestors established a number of farms in the Alberton area. After living in England, Germany, and Sweden, the Wells family returned to Canada in 1974. Since then, Emily has blended her experiences in Europe with her connections to the land of PEI. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of Canada, she is passionate about fresh and healthy food, as well as ethical food production. Adhering to those principles, she prepares international cuisine with locally-grown ingredients, and maintains strong relationships with Island suppliers. It’s as though her personal experiences – and those of her family – have come full circle, and led her back to the bounty of PEI’s soil and sea.

While enjoying their meals in the dining room, patrons at The Mill overlook the meandering Clyde River and its surrounding vista of green hills and soft colours. In keeping with the community hall history, Wells celebrates the summer season with a wide-open party, featuring free food, children’s games, and music and dancing.

Originally built in 1896 to house a community hall, the property evolved into a circuit court, a grain mill, and finally a restaurant. “I love the history of this place,” says Chef Wells.

In addition to The Mill in New Glasgow, Chef Wells operates Local 343, a small, cozy eatery and pub at 98 Water Street in Charlottetown.

The Taste Our Island Award is presented annually to a PEI restaurant that achieves an outstanding level of excellence while using and promoting local products. For more information, please visit www.peiadapt.com

Taste Our Island Award - Past Winners

2014 Winner - Shaw's Hotel & Restaurant won the 2014 PEI Adapt Council's "Taste our Island" Award. Striving to produce fabulous food in concert with the region's agricultural season, the partnership of fourth-generation hotelier Robbie Shaw and chef extraordinaire Peter Angus has taken the concept to a whole new level. Shaw's Hotel & Restaurant is open from early June to late September, and is located at 99 Apple Tree Road, overlooking the bay in Brackley Beach.
2013 Winner - Terre Rouge-Bistro Marche - located on Queen Street in downtown Charlottetown and is fully licenced with changing seasonal menus, all produced in-house by renowned chefs Dave Mottershall and John Pritchard. The marche offers a full selection of charcuterie, rotisserie, preserves, breads, and desserts.
2012 Winner - The Inn at Bay Fortune - The restaurant is renowned for its menu that includes seafood, meats and a Wine Spectator award-winning wine list. The Inn at Bay Fortune is located 45 minutes east of Charlottetown.
2011 Winner - Papa Joe's - Papa Joe's menu changes with the availability of the seasons, but the family's ongoing passion for freshness, beautifully seasoned seafood, meats, and some of the tastiest comfort cuisine, remains constant. Papa Joe's restaurant is located at 345 University Avenue in Charlottetown.
2010 Winner - The Pearl - The Pearl welcomes guests to its rusticelegant, art-filled dining room, and nourishes them with unforgettable food and drink. The building itself has been completely renovated with paintings, sculpture, fixtures, and furnishings from all over PEI.
2009 Winner - Victoria Village Inn - At the Victoria Village Inn, dining guests can meet the chef who prepared their grilled Atlantic salmon, pan roasted chicken breast, or Argyle Shore green salad.
2008 Winner - Merchantman Pub - In 2008 Chef Shirleen Peardon and Pub owner Peter Hyndman fulfilled their goal of creating a menu that is made up of 100 percent local foods. Here's a sample of what appeared on the award-winning menu: PEI Colville Bay Oysters, North Shore Halibut, Island Striploin, Seared Sea Scallops, and of course PEI Blue Mussels.
2007 Winner - The Maplethorpe Cafe