Lori McCarthy’s culinary-focused residences introduce visitors to the community and cultural traditions of Newfoundland.Courtesy Food Culture Place
When Lori McCarthy takes travellers hunting and foraging in rural Newfoundland, no two days are alike. Depending on the season, guests might hike six hours through the forest to field dress wild game before returning to McCarthy’s yurt. Another day could be spent scouring local beaches for edible plants or baking sourdough while exploring Newfoundland’s culinary traditions.
McCarthy refers to these experiences as “residencies,” offered through her company Food Culture Place. They range from half-day workshops to intensive three-day programs, drawing guests from all over the world who want more than just a list of recipe ingredients. “They’re looking for human-ness and connection as much as they are learning about these endangered [culinary] skills,” she says. “There’s awe and wonder in doing this.”
The people who seek out McCarthy are chasing true adventure. She leads them out in the wilds – sometimes with a rifle slung across her back – where anything can happen, though the day often ends with a freshly baked cake and pot of tea.
The Adventure Travel Trade Association’s 2025 Trends & Insights Report found that last year’s most popular adventure itineraries shared three traits: affordability, cultural immersion and active exploration. McCarthy’s residencies hit all of those sweet spots, blending practical skills with authentic encounters in Newfoundland’s landscape.
Rachel Dodds, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University who specializes in sustainable travel, says that while residencies are not new, a growing number of people are looking for more local or authentic experiences when they travel.
“[Academic] research is showing [that] people are becoming more disconnected, and longevity is linked to having a community or social group,” Dodds says. “This is why group tours are popular, as they allow people to share experiences. Residencies are taking this one step further to connect with the place itself.”
Vacation with an Artist (VWAA) offer travellers connections similar to McCarthy’s residencies through mini-apprenticeships. Founder Geetika Agrawal works with 210 master artists in 42 countries, pairing guests with experts in disciplines ranging from metalwork to cuisine.
In Napa, travellers can learn the art of regenerative beekeeping over a three-day experience with Vacation with an Artist.Courtesy Vacation with an Artist
One apprenticeship, for instance, teaches travellers to forge a steel cooking blade with a knifemaker on the west coast of Ireland. The experience includes hiking down the Cliffs of Moher to gather wood, cooking traditional meals and unwinding in seaweed baths and hot tubs. Other programs include learning regenerative beekeeping in California and exploring historic Greek cuisine in Crete. Agrawal launched VWAA in 2015 and has expanded significantly in years to meet increasing demand.
“The pandemic made people connect with things that brought them so much joy. People realized how important it was to pursue their passions, and that has really accelerated the demand for these experiences,” says Agrawal. Another factor, she says, is how travellers are responding to the adoption of artificial intelligence. “As people see how technology is changing how we work, they want more humanness – to be out in the real world, to connect with their body and make things,” she says.
Food has long been a gateway to culture, especially in travel, but there’s a difference between taking a cooking class and a deeper immersion that reveals how cuisine is tied with tradition. Increasingly, travellers want to participate more fully in the communities they visit.
The ATTA study found that adventure travellers are often drawn to expert-led itineraries built around specific interests, with gastronomy among the most prominent. For instance, Road Scholar, an educational travel company, has reported a 41 per cent jump in bookings for its food and wine programs over the past year.
For McCarthy, the most rewarding feedback comes from guests who say the experience stayed with them, prompting reconnections with their families and communities. “Food is all about coming together,” McCarthy says, “The practice of creating something helps bring that back to us. People will tell me that they feel like they’re contributing to something bigger than themselves now, whether that’s because they’re cooking a big breakfast for their family with a beautiful side of bacon they cured themselves, or giving friends sourdough and compound butters for Christmas.”
Agrawal sees no sign of demand slowing, with many of VWAA’s clients returning annually, and McCarthy notes many repeat visitors as well. Craving connection, these residencies help travellers rediscover a sense of purpose through shared traditions and hands-on experiences. Plus, they get to take home a new skill – a one-of-a-kind souvenir that will last a lifetime.
“What better tonic is there than being around creative people who are going to feed that need for connection in a way that you maybe aren’t finding at home?” says Agrawal. “It’s powerful and leaves people feeling inspired and transformed.”
