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7 July 2025 by David Ward
Maybe you've got your eye on some just-caught seafood or farm-to-table produce served with a local craft beverage. Or, perhaps an East-Coast style seafood chowder, Indigenous bannock, or Acadian fricot is more to your taste. Whichever you choose, the flavours of New Brunswick are as varied as the cultures that make its people who they are. Below, we work our way through a menu of delicious culinary experiences which are guaranteed to elevate your Atlantic Canada holiday.
A taste of coastal living
As a Maritime province with a coastline stretching from the Bay of Fundy to Chaleur Bay, fish and seafood have always been an important part of life in New Brunswick. Lobster, in particular, is a favourite, with Shediac – the lobster capital of the world – offering an abundance of opportunities to experience the joys of this most sought-after of seafoods, served fresh with a simple butter sauce. And, even if lobster isn't your thing, there's always snow crab, oysters, shrimp, clams, caviar, and a variety of delicious fish to tempt your maritime tastebuds.
Indeed, wherever you go in the province, you’ll be able to enjoy the bounty of the sea. Traditional seafood delights abound, from lobster rolls (a hotdog bun or roll with lobster mayo or butter) to chowder (each restaurant has their own recipe) and fried clams – the ultimate coastal road-trip treat. You’ll find it all on the menu at seaside shacks, roadside diners, and urban bistros.
A unique terrain for unique drinking experiences
What to enjoy along with that lobster dinner? Well, it only makes sense to pair a locally-produced food with a locally-crafted drink. So pour yourself a glass of New Brunswick wine or cider, and get ready to experience the kind of unique taste that the province's very specific climate, terroir, and artistry can create.
New Brunswick’s wine industry is young, but diverse and growing. Scenic wine regions stretch from coastal shores to fertile valleys, producing complex, cool-climate grape and fruit wines. And cider production – based on a long history of apple growing in the province –is an equally exciting way to experience what New Brunswick has to offer.
Flavourful beers, crafted with care
Given that Moosehead, Canada’s oldest independent brewery, is located in Saint John, perhaps it’s not surprising that New Brunswick continues to enjoy a booming beer industry. Microbreweries across the province are welcoming visitors, keen to try their ales, lagers, and pilsners, all crafted by creative brewmasters who know just how to tease out the right flavours and profiles using just a few raw ingredients.
These microbrewery brands are often inspired by local folklore, bringing New Brunswick history to life in their products. Holy Whale, in Alma, is located in an historic community church. In Moncton, Tire Shack Brewing is set in a former auto garage. And, in Bathurst, Four Rivers Brewing is aptly named after the rivers that flow into its harbour – Nepisiguit, Tetagouche, Little and Middle. As such, the communities and their landmarks, live on in beer glasses across the province.
From farm to table
Away from the coast, New Brunswick’s food scene is one that fully embraces the concept of farm-to-fork dining, something showcased throughout its producers, restaurants and markets. In fact, the province is home to some of the finest food and farmers markets in eastern Canada, from the historic downtown Saint John City Market, with its roof in the shape of an inverted ship’s hull to smaller offerings such as Fredericton’s Boyce Farmers Market, the sprawling downtown Moncton Market, and the dynamic Dieppe Market. Whichever you visit, you can expect the very freshest ingredients, locally sourced.
