What to do when you get here — An insider’s guide to interests and attractions in the area surrounding The Cliff House Resort & Spa.

Fresh & Local
140 Years Ago & Today

“Fresh and local is not a new concept at The Cliff House. It was the foundation of my great-great grandmother’s plan for the hotel,” said Kathryn Weare in an interview just before opening day this year. We were eating lunch in Ocean Terrace. I was having a lobster roll, and she was having mussels. The view was spectacular!

“Transportation after the Civil War was barely available and was not for perishables as refrigeration didn’t exist. We had to grow our own food. Guests in the 1870s came here for the fresh, clean air. Food from our farm was part of the experience.”

I learned from Kathryn that the Weare family farm was located nearby in Cape Neddick. “The farm supplied the hotel with the essentials; all manner of vegetables, fruits, dairy products and meats. Fish was always local and part of the menu,” she said.

We talked about the proliferation of uniquely specialized small farms in Maine; many grow organically. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association is the oldest and largest state organic organization in the country. I learned that, from a business prospective, buying from many sources is not as efficient as having a big shiny truck pull up to your door. But the guests appreciate quality and respond favorably to local menu items like chévre, Cape Neddick bouillabaisse and mussels from Peaks Island. Vegetables and fruits change with the seasons.

“We also have purveyors in the Boston market who shop for the freshest items for the hotel. So local and fresh is an old concept for us, not a new one.” And Kathryn added, “We certainly don’t want the food to travel greater distances than the guests!”