A story of our landscapes — contemporary Chinese cooking, told through Ontario ingredients, in a former gas station in Creemore.
One MICHELIN Star · No. 11 in Canada · No. 48 in North America
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Our story
Before The Pine became one of Canada's most celebrated restaurants, it was a pop-up dinner for 12 on a family farm in rural Ontario.
Born and raised in Thornbury, Chef Jeremy Austin spent years building his culinary career abroad, working in kitchens across Italy, Shanghai, Wuxi, and Hong Kong. He eventually returned to Southern Georgian Bay with his wife and business partner, Cassie, whom he first met while working at a restaurant in Thornbury.
Together, they set out to create something the region hadn't seen before.
The Pine's first chapter unfolded on Cassie's family farm, Roy'l Acres Farms, near Maxwell, Ontario. Guests gathered around a long outdoor harvest table for an intimate, multi-course dinner inspired by Jeremy's international experience and ingredients grown close to home.
Surrounded by forests and farmland, they named the experience The Pine, a nod to the landscape that inspired it.
What began as a series of summer pop-ups would soon become something much bigger.
In August 2020, Jeremy and Cassie opened The Pine's first permanent restaurant in downtown Collingwood. At just 700 square feet, with 12 seats and a small team, it was an ambitious undertaking: a contemporary Chinese tasting menu in a town better known for its ski hills than fine dining.
The restaurant quickly attracted national attention, ranking #51 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list and #9 on Canada's Best New Restaurants list in 2022.
The intimate space had helped define The Pine's character, but its growing reputation and following called for something more.
Rather than leave Southern Georgian Bay for a larger city, Jeremy and Cassie chose to grow within the region, transforming a former gas station in the village of Creemore into The Pine's next home.
The move provided room to expand the team and elevate the dining experience while preserving the personal approach that had earned the restaurant its reputation.
Within months of opening in April 2024, The Pine earned its first Michelin Star, becoming one of only a handful of starred restaurants in Ontario and one of just two outside Toronto.
The Pine has retained its Michelin Star for three consecutive years, climbed to #11 on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list, earned the #48 position on North America's 50 Best Restaurants list, and been named Canada's Best Destination Restaurant for 2026.
Since opening in Creemore, The Pine has recorded more than 14,000 guest visits in a village of approximately 1,200 residents. Nearly two-thirds travel from Toronto, while 7% arrive from abroad. For many, The Pine is the reason for the trip, introducing new visitors to Creemore and the broader Southern Georgian Bay region.
Source: The Pine, September 2026. The guest total counts visits since the April 2024 Creemore opening, not unique individuals. Visitor origins are based on January–July 2026 reservation data.
Despite its growing international reputation, The Pine remains closely tied to the farm and community where it began.
Today, Jeremy and Cassie's hospitality group employs more than 30 people across two restaurants, following the opening of Michelin-recommended L O R E in Collingwood in 2026.
From a family farm to the international dining stage, every chapter of The Pine's story has unfolded in Southern Georgian Bay.
This is where it began. And it's where Jeremy and Cassie have chosen to keep building.
Recognition
Selected Press
The Food & The Farm
At The Pine, Chinese culinary traditions meet the ingredients and changing seasons of Southern Georgian Bay. Drawing on years spent cooking in Shanghai, Wuxi, Hong Kong, and Italy, Chef Jeremy Austin has developed an approach to contemporary Chinese cuisine that is entirely his own.
Much of that identity begins at Roy'l Acres Farms, the family farm belonging to Jeremy's wife and business partner, Cassie. The farm supplies the majority of The Pine's produce, with the kitchen and growers working closely together on seasonal ingredients, including unique and heirloom varieties selected with the menu in mind.
It's a relationship that goes back to The Pine's earliest days, when Jeremy and Cassie hosted their first pop-up dinners on the farm in 2019. Today, that same connection between land and kitchen continues to shape the restaurant's tasting menu.
The Dining Experience
Rather than a traditional written menu, guests receive an illustrated card of abstract imagery and symbols, offering subtle hints at the courses ahead. It's an invitation to experience each dish as it unfolds, without knowing exactly what comes next.
Current menuThe menu changes constantly, so no single menu is definitive. The Pine’s current menu is available on request from info@thepinecreemore.ca.
Beverage Pairings
Thoughtfully curated by General Manager and Wine Director Jeremiah Tomas, The Pine's beverage program features carefully selected wines, creative cocktails, and inventive alcohol-free pairings designed to complement the evolving tasting menu.
The restaurant's signature Octane pairings, a playful nod to the building's former life as a gas station, offer three distinct experiences:
Selections evolve alongside the menu, reflecting seasonality, discovery, and Jeremiah's approach to beverage pairing.
The People
For journalists
Downloads
Everything on this page, as documents. The complete kit is one ZIP: the Restaurant Overview (summary, menu, awards and why they matter, press), the Biographies, and image folders for food, exterior, interior and people.
Media Library
Tap any image for the full-size file, or download every image in folders: Food, Exterior, Interior and People. Original high-resolution photography is available on request.
The Pine | Media Enquiries
The Pine
Press representation by Marvellous Mondays