Eileen (just call her ‘mom,’ everyone does) and Calvin Sansome love what they do. They started their holding tank for live lobsters, called a lobster pool, back in 1999. They admit they had no idea if the venture would even work.  It did. In 2005 they added “a little take out” to the lobster pool serving (what else) lobster, and things took off from there, she said. 

 “By 2011 we took the old shed down that was there and the old stage my father-in-law used we built into a restaurant.”

Inside the sea-side restaurant there’s underwater cameras to watch as the fish swim around the wharf while dining.   

Eileen laughs. “That was my idea. I would like to have one out in the lobster pool as well to watch the lobsters, but my husband says, ‘that’s too much. You’re going too far.’” 

Food is to die for!

The two laugh as Calvin fishes around inside one of the holding tanks for a lobster. “Word of mouth in this business is important but in this industry, hospitality is number one. When you  hire excellent people and you have great food made from scratch, then people spread the word that this is a place to visit.” 

And the food is to die for! Seafood chowder, fish and chips, fish cakes, crab legs and of course lobster! All amazing! And the blueberry cheesecake? Also amazing! “We go over menus and we try things and we see what works, and then the chef takes over and it all works,” she said glowing. One secret she doesn’t mind sharing; their lobster and crab are cooked in sea water. “Anyone who knows can tell the difference,” she said.

Hospitality & grub

Their combination of hospitality and grand grub is working. Sansome’s isn’t on any main drag, and is located in an out of the way area making theirs a “destination” and not a “drop in” spot.   

“You’re not on any main drag. People have to come to us. They hear about it and they come from all over the world. Word of mouth is unbelievable.”

If planing on visiting, come early, as the parking lot fills fast and there’s usually a line up at the door. 

With a staff of nine, it’s a busy spot in season, but they both love the work, she said. “We love meeting people and this is my husband’s home. My father-in-law was in the lobster fishery for years and years and years so this made sense to us. I used to work at other things, but I didn’t get to see enough people. Now, there’s no shortage of that!”

For more, like Doyle W. Sansome & Sons Super Lobster Pool on Facebook

The Dynamic Duo: The Quay & Baccalieu Trail Brewing Co.

Dave Collins, owner/operator of The Quay restaurant in Brigus and Mark Burry, entrepreneur/managing Director of Baccalieu Trail Brewing Company Ltd., a microbrewery located in Bay Roberts, have no problem sharing their best creations. 

On the day we visit The Quay, we dig in to the dishes presented before us by the enthusiastic Collins. One of the many wins? The Quay’s  crab cakes which comes with a delightful and incredibly touching story. Collins had never really had a dream to own a restaurant, he shared. 

“I’ve always been a foodie … always did a lot of cooking for family, friends, or for charitable groups, and a good friend of mine, his name was Gary Corcoran – and I say was because he passed away – and Gary was a phenomenal chef and an unbelievable individual.”

Corcoran raised “millions for charity over his lifetime,” Collins said and the two friends did a lot of cooking together. Corcoran even penned a cookbook titled In The Kitchen with Gary Corcoran: Recipes from Home and Away. Corcoran developed ALS shortly after Collins purchased The Quay. “Gary was not of good health and I used to see him every week, and we used to talk about what items to potentially use on the new menu.”

One of his friend’s suggestions? Crab cakes. “I made some and  had my family and friends in and it was loud and clear that crab cakes were as a keeper so I put them on the menu as Gary’s Crab Cakes as it’s our way of celebrating him on the menu.” 

‘Ten out of ten’

The Cuban sandwich is also something that reminds Collins of his late friend, as it was one of the meals he requested towards his final days. Collins shared that Corcoran gave The Quay’s Cuban sandwich “a ten out of ten.”

Such stories make the menu meaningful and personal, said Collins. 

Mark Burry  of Baccalieu Trail Brewing Company Ltd. said that he got into the micro brewery business as a passion. 

“My grandfather was an entrepreneur all his life,” he said. 

Burry, who had been brewing beer at home, just felt that it was time to make the move. One of the best parts about being in business is the relationships you get to have, like the one he has with Collins and The Quay. The Quay serves the brewery’s beer and Baccalieu Trail brewing Company serves The Quay’s food. 

“We have a good business relationship with many other businesses in the Baccalieu Trail region and we all want to see one another be successful,” he said.  

NTV’s Rock Solid Builds 

Both agree that shows like NTV’s Rock Solid Builds helps the region by showcasing the beauty of the area. Burry’s products, including their creatively designed and brewed Grab 4 and Explore pack, are available in many locations, but if you wants great food – as well as entertainment – why not visit them in Bay Roberts. 

Whether it’s a lager to enjoy on a hot day or sipping an  Irish  red; there’s a beer to please any taste bud. Collins smiles. “There’s so much to take advantage of in this amazing province. See the sights and enjoy the  food and the beverages.”

For more destinations pick up next week’s NL Herald! Plus, more on The Doctor’s House Inn & Spa, the Dildo Brewery, Dunrovin in Lethbridge and Iceberg Alley B&B!

Twillingate-New World Island Dinner Theatre

The food is second to none and the entertainment? Well that almost has to be seen and heard to be believed. With performances by talented locals like Chelsea Cox, Denise Dove, Sandra Gillett (who has been performing since 2002), Gary Rogers, Jody Hale and Wayne Gillett, there’s no shortage of side-splitting comedy and spine tingling musical performances. 

On the day we visit, to say there are people from all over the world there would be an understatement. Canadian. Americans. Australians. Almost too many to mention – though the performers make sure to give a round of applause to all who visit from near and far. Owners/operators of this merry crew are Cathy Brown and  Ernie Watkins who were born and raised in the Twillingate area.

When The Herald spoke to Watkins he was in his shed which also serves as a kitchen. He had not long ago tied his boat off and was boiling the water to prepare 90 lobsters and 75 pounds of muscles for that evening’s feed.  But that’s not the only thing on the menu. Salmon and cod is brought in fresh daily as well.  When asked if he’s also the fisherman for the feed provided, Watkins stands tall. “This is the boat, that brought in everything. I’m a fisherman, absolutely,” he said proudly.

The dinner theatre came about seven years ago, he said. How did it start?

“A lot of people want to experience old fashioned shed parties when they come here to visit and that’s what this dinner theater is about. There’s a lot of traditional Newfoundland music, but often Newfoundlanders make fun of Newfoundlanders and our ways and that’s what we started to do, so it’s music and comedy,” he said. 

What is it about his home that he loves so much, we ask. “It’s just the rustic look. The cliff lines and the shorelines and what we’ve got to offer the world. Icebergs when they’re here, but it’s the way of life and it’s the people that make this place a destination.”

Giving back is important too, he shared. The dinner theatre seats between 14-15,000 people each year and they sell fifty-fifty tickets to anyone interested. This year they are hoping to sell 60,000 tickets and the funds raised help those less fortunate in the area over the holidays via their Twillingate/NWI Christmas Hamper Fund. “This is our home. Whatever we can do to make it a great place for everyone, we will do.”

For more visit Twillingate-New World Island Dinner Theatre on Facebook.

“I wouldn’t change anything for the world,” Randy Spracklin shared during our chat at his Newfound Builders office in Brigus.  

Speaking of their popular series, Rock Solid Builds, he had nothing but positive things to say about the entire experience. 

“I hope it just keeps on going. We’ve had such good fun. And like I say to everyone, the team behind the scenes and our team that you see on the show, I can’t say enough positive things about any of them. I’m often left speechless because I’m just having so much fun doing what I love,” he said.

As for some of the footage the cameras catch? He laughs. “They’re there with us almost every day filming, that’s why it’s so, so real. You never know what they are going to catch on film because you never know from one moment to the next what will happen with the crew and with the jobs,” he said.

It’s almost like a documentary, he added. “It’s real life because they’re just chasing us with cameras. At any given minute, you could find something hidden in a wall or uncover a problem no one knew about until we actually start taking things apart.” As for the fun everyone has?  That’s real too. 

“The tricks that we play on each other are never planned. It’s just like spur of the moment, like, ‘Hey, look, let’s throw that at Nikki to do.’ So the crew kind of has to be on their toes and so does the camera crew follow us everywhere we go. They capture it all, and that’s the way we like it because that’s us. That’s who we are.”

Rock Solid Builds is back on HGTV Canada for season two and season one of the popular series can now be seen on Saturdays at 2:30 P.M. on NTV

It’s not like the folks at Newfound Builders – a Brigus-based family-owned construction business – haven’t knocked it out of the park over on HGTV Canada, but knowing the crew will now be swinging hammers and nailing one-liners in their unique Newfoundland style on Canada’s Superstation is a bit of a win-win. The rookie of the crew, Nikki Spracklin, says that she’s thrilled with the news that season one will now be shown on NTV while season two airs on HGTV Canada. 

“I think it’s a great opportunity for everyone to get caught up, as some may have missed some of season one, and now they’re getting a chance to watch.”

While the excitement builds with each episode, the show’s success still is surprising, she said. “None of us expected this to be what it is. We thought it was a joke at first and now for this to be as big and popular as it is, it’s mind blowing. It’s like ‘b’ys, are you serious? You all seriously want to know what we’re doing?’ Our job is hilarious to us, and we have fun, but that others want to watch us is mind blowing,” she shared with awe and gratitude.

Believe it, Nikki!  Tour buses are even coming by to have a peak, we’re told.  “In the summer, it was priceless. We’re at the shop in the mornings then head out to a site and when we come back, our shop guys say, ‘we were bombarded with people again today.’ We have everybody coming to visit, and it’s bringing in a lot of people to the island to see the beauty we have here in Newfoundland,” she shared.

All about trust

Is she still considered the rookie, we ask.  She laughed. “I’m starting to lose the rookie title a little bit. I’m gaining a little bit of confidence. I trust me more and Randy trusts me more. I’m not afraid as much to take on the risk and take on a bit more responsibility. It’s nice to gain a little bit more responsibility and trust on the job. It’s a good feeling.”

When you watch the show, you see how close the crew seem with one another. It all looks so genuine. 

“It’s 100 per cent genuine. We went into this wanting to stay true to who we were, staying true to our traditions and to the way we carried on at work. We believe in what we do, and we have a really great brother/sister relationship,” she said. 

Staying true to who she was meant not changing for a camera, and they stuck to that, she added. “We carry on  all the time at work every day, whether the camera’s there or not. We’re there for a good time. And you know what? For me, I’m glad it’s put across that way on the show, and I’m glad people get to see our true selves. It’s 100 per cent authentic, and what you see is what you get.”

 We ask if there’s been a favorite project so far. “We did a road trip … and we did a special job for a child and a mother. That job really hit my heart being a mom myself. But there’s a couple of jobs throughout the season where you got to know the homeowners and we still connect with and talk to them on a regular basis.”

But then most jobs are special for a variety of reasons, she added.  “A lot of the jobs are special because you take it right from the ground up. You get the keys from the homeowner and they let complete strangers in their homes. Over time, before you hand the keys back, you really get to know these people.”

We have to be nosy and ask about her home life with her partner Blair and the kiddies. How is she balancing it all, we ask. 

“Depending on the weather sometimes we do get some time off but for the most part, we work year round. I’m juggling being a mother and working 40, 50, 60 hours and it has been a challenge, I’m not going to lie.”

She, like most, simply does the best she can, she shared. “I try my best to make my family time count when I can, and we make the most of our family time when we can. We love being outdoors so when I’m free, we make the best of it. My partner Blair has been a great help.
He’s took on a lot of extra responsibilities. We’re just a mom and a dad trying to juggle it all, and it’s working most times.”

A no-brainer 

Being a woman in the trades means she has become a bit of an inspiration for other women.  Spracklin nodded. 

“I hear that a lot, and it touches my heart because I didn’t plan on being an inspiration, and I didn’t expect the reaction from women. I’ve received messages from all over Canada. I’ve had women reach out to me and say, ‘Thank you. You go, girl.’ And it’s like, You know what? We’re no different than the man next to us on a job site. If they can do it, you can do it.”

Sometimes, she’s so touched from the feedback that she actually cries, she shared. “To hear that a child wants to grow up and follow in your footsteps really touches you. That means so much,” she said. While Spracklin might come across as if she’s right at home around the bay, she actually grew up in St. John’s. 

“I guess I’m a townie through and through. When we got married, we figured it was better to raise the kids around the bay so we moved here to Brigus. There’s so much outdoor activity between quad rides, and we love to hike so it was a no-brainer to be out here living.” 

Now, the team get to showcase their unique lifestyle to the rest of the world. Spracklin nodded, adding that’s one of the best parts. “When Randy first said this was happening, I laughed at him. I said, ‘Oh, really?’ To be honest, we thought he was crazy because at first we were all like, ‘no way’, right? But he said, ‘Come on, let’s have a laugh with it.’ Then when they actually landed on the ground and the cameras were there it was like, ‘Oh man, this is real. Here we go,’” she laughed. 

Sprackin shared that the filming lasts for months so when she sits down to watch the show with family she hardly remembers what had happened. Good thing too sometimes, she laughed. 

“I got to tell you, the weather sucks in Newfoundland. The only thing that drives me nuts in Newfoundland is the weather and sometimes I look back and can’t believe we went to work in that. But when you get a good crew around, it’s a little bit easier to take. Yes, sometimes you’d like to go home out of it, or when you got so much to do and you only got so  much time to do it in, you want to say shag it but you suck it up and do it because by the time lunchtime comes, you’re already halfway through the day.”

So, we know she isn’t a fan of the working conditions weather-wise sometimes, but is there any one thing she loves most about her job, we ask. 

“The people. That’s really it for me. But the projects too. These projects are unique. How many carpenters can say they worked on a root cellar or on a treehouse? That’s the fun part of work. Randy and Newfound Builders, they don’t care what it is, he’ll take on anything. That’s the fun part of being on the residential side of carpentry. You’re going to experience so many different things. I love when we get a unique, different project because it’s a learning experience and it’s also a very big bonding experience for all of us when we go in and try something new or something challenging,” she said.

Does she tackle projects at home? 

“Oh no, my dear. When I leave here at five o’clock on Friday, my tool belt stays here, so I come back Monday morning and put it back on. I leave it there, and it will stay there. I go home and enjoy my family.”  Anything else she’d like to share, we ask. “No, maid, I’m good,” she said. 

We both laugh. Last questions: What does her family think of it all?

“My dad thinks it’s great that he has a daughter on TV, and he’ll call me after and say he stayed up late just to see the show. It’s hilarious but we all love it.”

For more Rock Solid Builds, tune into NTV or HGTV Canada

Rock Solid Builds, a home-reno show like no other thanks to colourful characters as well as homes, takes viewers to the rocky shores (and inland too!) of Newfoundland so third-generation builder, Randy Spracklin, can do what he does best: create while doing construction! 

With a team made up of his business partner and father Scott, ‘rookie’ loves-a-good-laugh apprentice Nikki, salt-of-the-earth been-there-done-that Paul, the crew battle the elements – and sometimes one another for a laugh – to pull off historic renos and jaw-dropping builds.

That ol’ NL charm

There’s Newfoundland-styled language, joking and pranks along the way as Spracklin and co. build spectacular new homes on the coast or loving renovate centuries-old properties, but no matter the project, the team always showcase the charm of living and working on the extreme eastern edge of North America. 

Nikki and her willingness to try anything has certainly caught attention. As a mom and an apprentice carpenter she’s become a hero to many. Add to that her colourful devil-may-care attitude and her willingness to take – and give – when it comes to jokes and pranks, and you have produced a home-grown fan fav. 

“Funny enough, Nikki wanted to get into the trade and we knew each other way back, say, when we were younger. She used to come to Brigus to hang around, and I guess that’s how she met her husband who’s from here,” Spracklin said.

Nikki wanted in, and she was willing to do the work, and at the time, Spracklin was looking for someone to help their busy Newfound Builders team.

“Because I knew Nickki, I could say she’s definitely got the right attitude and it just worked out well. We clicked and she got no trouble taking on any task,” Spracklin boasted. 

Bit colourful at times          

  There’s lots of work getting done on Rock Solid Builds, but there’s lots of fun being had too. Is all the laughing and joking part of a typical work day, we ask. 

“Oh my god, yes. You know, we Newfoundlanders, we love everything about ourselves because we’re so unique. We love our language and our culture and our sayings. Now, we especially love helping each other out, but you know, sometimes we like to have fun too and that can get a little colourful at times,” he admitted 

Newfoundlanders use words a little differently than other Canadians, for one thing, he added. 

“Nikki can swear and she swore on me a few times, especially if I’m playing tricks on her, but it’s all in good fun.” 

But at the end of the day, it’s about getting the job done and having a laugh while also embracing the opportunity to highlight this beautiful province of ours and its people, he added. 

“It’s just a great feeling to be able to do what we do and especially to do it here in Newfoundland. A lot of times people are looking at the show and are not sure what to think besides the fact that we really are a diamond in the rough.” 

Spracklin is a third generation builder, but he’s tried his hand at a few other things in a few other places over the years. 

“I went out west. I tried that whole Alberta thing and it wasn’t really for me,” he admitted. He just kept coming back to his first loves: woodworking and construction and good ol’ NL.

“I just kept coming back to the things I did with the old man growing up. Building houses was part of that.”

In 2008 Spracklin returned home and never looked back, he shared.

“You know what? This is definitely what I’m meant to do. Little did I know 15/16 years later, we’re going to have a TV show,” he said laughing.

Sitting at the table in Newfound Builders showroom as the crew worked away out in the shop, Spracklin admitted that the show with HGTV Canada started because of an email that went to his ‘junk’ folder. 

“Believe it or not, I got an email in my junk mail, and they were looking for an east coast show because there was nothing this side of Toronto. I emailed them back and here we are. Can’t believe it myself sometimes,” he admitted. 

A little good ‘junk’ mail

Now that they’ve finished taping Season Two, it’s almost like they’ve been “at it forever,” he said. “It’s the people behind the scenes that we are grateful for. We work together well and you don’t even remember they’re shooting a show. A lot of times they’re like, ‘Hey, don’t move yet because they’re shooting’ but other times we just do what we do and they (camera folks) do what they do. We’re just so used to blending together and I guess that’s what makes the show so awesome, because there’s no format. There’s nothing that we’re got to do and nothing we got to say. They’re just running behind us with a camera because you never know what will happen next.”

This is, he adds, real life. It’s construction in Newfoundland where everything needs to come by sea. It’s dealing with older homes and trusses that don’t fit and foundations that are ready to crumble. It’s hurricanes and epic snow storms and windy “some day on clothes” days. It’s being prepared for the unpreparable. 

“We are here on an island. The only two ways to get stuff is by boat and by airplane. When the wind is blowing the boat don’t run and you can’t ship big stuff by airplane. We’re all on one big rock, so people don’t realize that when you’re digging a foundation, sometimes you’re going to hit rock. Sometimes you use that to your advantage, sometimes not.”

And the homes themselves often have a mind of their own too. “These are 100-200 year-old homes you’re dealing with. So you have the weather and you have the house itself that you’re dealing with and sometimes you don’t even know how it’s standing. Some people would tear it down. That’s not our way.” 

‘We had snow in June’

Spracklin offers that Season Two presented one of his biggest challenges. 

“This season, you’re going to see probably one of the biggest head scratchers that I had since I’ve been in this business. We were in St. John’s and it’s supposed to be an easy renovation … and then we found a structural issue. I don’t know how the house stood up. We had to actually bring the excavator inside. We should tear it down, we thought, but you know what? The homeowners loved the history as much as we did, and we put it all back together.” 

That was probably one of the most amazing builds of the year, he added proudly. Besides the challenges the houses offer, working through all seasons is part of what makes what he does for a living fun, Spracklin said. 

“We had snow in June this year. It was great as much as it was tricky. And then we had a hurricane. But we went whitewater rafting in the fall and the production team were looking at us saying, ‘You’re really doing this in this weather?’ But yeah, that’s the thing. Weather just brings another bit of fun to anything you do in Newfoundland.” 

Besides Spracklin and his team, fans of the show get to know his wife and children too. They also get up close and personal with his clients. How are “regular Newfoundlanders” when it comes to being part of a show like Rock Solid Builds, we ask. “A lot of them are pretty open and they just go with it. The love of their home is real so they roll with the punches. A lot of times we have free range on what we get to do and design and build so that’s fun, too.” We ask about balance and home life. Spracklin has an extensive ‘honey-do-list at home, he admitted. 

“Life is pretty busy, but you get up early in the morning and you go to work and then you come home and spend time with the kids … but because I love what we do, I love work, and I love my family, it works out,” he said.

One big family

As a third generation builder, he comes by that passion naturally. 

“I can’t wait to get up every morning, actually can’t wait to go to work. But then on the other side of it, I can’t wait to get home and see the family. But then most of my family also works here and so we’re one big family, and I’m sure if the kids didn’t go to school, they’d be here too.” 

How is it being a home-grown celebrity? He sometimes forgets that part, he laughed. “Actually, we were in St. John’s around Halloween and we were at Lester’s (Farm) and this lady and this little kid came up and was talking and knew my name and I said, ‘how did they know me?’ And my wife’s like, ‘You’re on TV,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah.’” 

The celebrity also attracts  come-from-aways too, he acknowledged. “For me it is still pretty surreal and hard to grasp because we’re just doing what we love to do. And other than having a camera following you it really is just like a normal day, but the rest of Canada is looking at Newfoundland. We get so many calls of people wanting to visit here, and wanting to move here, from watching the show.”

Pack up & Move here

Knowing that people just want to “pack up and move here from watching a show is pretty amazing,” he added. Of course Spracklin can’t blame them. “You drive here from east coast to west coast and look at any coastline or the mountains or the interior, it’s just beautiful. I said many times, there’s no other place in the world you’re going to get a view like this for the price tag. And that’s the other thing that Newfoundland ‘s got to offer.”

For more visit hgtv.ca/shows/rock-solid-builds