MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Fall 2020

photos © Copyright Hooman Mesri Photography, All Rights Reserved. Stoking the Bonfire Meet Jen Christi e and Chris Shaw Restaurateurs at www.bonfireon queen.com 342 Queen St. N., Paisley 519.353.3473 The Bonfire On Queen Social House sparked a social blaze in Bruce County this past summer—a new business emerged in Paisley, much to the delight of the local community and visitors to the area. Starting a new business has its challenges at the best of times but not even the pandemic could stop Chris Shaw and Jen Christie from realizing their dreams of starting a business in Bruce County. At first, it was just for take-out orders. “We were almost ready to open when the pandemic hit, so we decided to try take-out,” says Christie. As restrictions lifted, they were able to o!er tables on the patio, eventually opening inside at limited capacity while respecting Covid-19 guidelines. Christie grew up on a dairy farm in Bruce County while Shaw hails from the United Kingdom. Sharing a love for travel, good food and brewpubs, they hit it o! when they met through an acquaintance on St. Paddy’s day in 2018. Together they looked to Bruce County, hoping to forge a life for themselves, eventually landing their search on an old building in Paisley. “It felt like the right place to be,” explains Christie, who has travelled extensively. “It has a lot going on.” Branded as the Artistic River Village, Paisley is as vibrant as it is modest. A town adorned with murals and bike racks in the shape of fish, it is located at the convergence of the Saugeen and Teeswater Rivers. The area is ideal for paddlers and artists alike, not to mention the entrepreneur. “The rivers, the outdoor community and the artists made this home,” adds Christie. Christie and Shaw found inspiration for their business plan from locals. The previous owners of the restaurant had sold take-out pizza, a demand they could fill, while complementing the village with locally sourced hand-made scratch stone oven pizza, in a pub-style setting. Shaw brings 20 years of cooking experience to his kitchen.