The Pine Tells a True Story of Our Landscapes
The Creemore Restaurant A Culinary Journey in Ontario’s Countryside
Precision, patience and a powerful palette are all key ingredients in what makes The Pine a jubilee in Ontario’s countryside. The team, led by Chef Jeremy Austin and wife Cassie, have been awarded a Michelin star for their culinary prowess and creativity. Yet even though the dishes themselves are avant-garde by nature, the backdrop of The Pine illustrates contemporary minimalism with a connection to the natural world—a guiding force for architect Kaegan Walsh’s vision.
This 184 square metre space highlights a large dining room with a cathedral-esque ceiling, open-air prep kitchen and secluded outdoor garden.
To find this hidden gem, you must venture roughly 2 hours North of Toronto to an unassuming town called Creemore. There you will discover a modest structure just off a country road near the centre of town. Unbeknownst to many, The Pine’s skeleton was that of a former local gas station: renovated and reimagined.
As Walsh describes it, his boutique architectural practice KWA embraces a holistic approach to the needs, desires and behaviours of individuals and communities into the design process.
The Pine fittingly features a variety of natural wood furniture and decor.
The local landscape was woven into every design detail within the restaurant.
Communal seating makes the dining room a space for any type of gathering.
Walsh worked hand-in-hand with The Pine to ensure every possible detail was an intentional inclusion to enhance the human experience. Through this seamless collaboration, Walsh was able to effortlessly intertwine the essence of the local landscape with elements of The Pine’s elaborate tasting menu.
The dining room at The Pine. Creemore, Ontario.
The menu itself is based on Jeremy and Cassie’s many travels in Canada and abroad. Though ever-changing, the tasting menu helped bridge the connection between the space and the dishes through the inclusion of natural textiles and foliage—a reflection of The Pine’s local environment. Materials such as wood and dried vegetation act as complimentary visual cues for dishes like the pumpkin cake and 3AM bbq. The private garden located at the rear of The Pine acts as an outdoor laboratory of sorts—as it offers a space for Jeremy and Cassie to experiment with new flavours using ingredients that they grow in-house.
The Pine. 7535 County Rd 9, Creemore, ON.
At its core, The Pine is the personification of Jeremy and Cassie’s journey through the world of food. It is passion, self-expression, elegance and timelessness enveloped inkto a circular ecosystem that one can only experience first-hand to fully understand. “A Story of Our Landscapes” – a phrase etched into every crevice of The Pine is a reminder of the lived experiences and kinship fostered through The Pine’s ongoing efforts to maintain sustainable relationships with the land and its people. The true story of this space is a love letter to Canada and beyond—which makes it simply impossible to translate the time spent here in a singular definition.
In the end, any preconceptions you may have had about The Pine should be tossed aside upon stepping through its doors. Expect the unexpected and immerse yourself into Jeremy and Cassie’s world of taste and flavour. For the traveller who happens to stumble across this humble establishment, let the heart and soul of this expansive setting welcome you.
