Newfoundland Traditions
What Is a Boil Up? Newfoundland's Favourite Tradition, Explained
A fire, a kettle, good food, and better company. The story of the island's most beloved outdoor ritual.
A boil up is a Newfoundland and Labrador tradition where friends or family head outdoors, build a fire on a beach or in the woods, boil a kettle for tea, and cook a simple meal over the flames.
Part picnic, part ritual, part excuse to be outside in any weather, the boil up is one of the oldest and most beloved customs in the province, and one of the best ways for a visitor to taste what this place is really about.
That's the short answer. The long answer is better, so put the kettle on.
Where the Boil Up Comes From
The tradition grew out of work. For generations, fishermen, loggers, trappers, and berry pickers spent their days far from any kitchen, so the midday meal happened wherever the work did: a fire kindled in the lun of a rock, a blackened kettle of strong tea, bread and whatever the day provided. The break itself earned its own name; pausing for a cup of tea is still called a mug-up, a small ceremony of rest that one writer aptly compared to the Swedish tradition of fika.
When the workday version faded, the pleasure of it didn't. Today the boil up is pure recreation, and it's a year-round sport. Newfoundlanders boil up in July sunshine and in February snow, arriving by boat, by quad, by snowmobile, or on foot.
There's no bad weather for a boil up, only better stories.
What Do You Eat and Drink at a Boil Up?
The non-negotiable is tea: boiled strong in a kettle over the fire and, done traditionally, splashed with tinned milk. Around the tea, the menu is whatever the cooler and the coastline offer. The classics include:
- Thick-cut bread or toutons, toasted on a stick or fried in the pan
- Beans, wieners, or a fry-up of whatever's on hand
- Fresh fish or shellfish when the catch cooperates
- Molasses, homemade jam, and something sweet for after
- Berries picked within sight of the fire, in season
No fancy clothes, no folding tables, no agenda. The fire does the hosting.
Why It Matters
A boil up looks like a picnic, but it works like a conversation. The fire slows everyone down to the same speed. Phones lose their grip. Stories surface. Anthony Bourdain joined a boil up on one of his final episodes of Parts Unknown, and it was described, accurately, as epic. He understood what Newfoundlanders have always known: the simplest meal, cooked outside among good company, beats the finest one eaten in a hurry.
How to Experience a Boil Up as a Visitor
If you're lucky enough to have Newfoundland friends, accept any invitation that includes the words "boil up." If you don't yet, that's where we come in.
Our Beach Boil Up in Mobile, thirty minutes south of St. John's on the Irish Loop, is the tradition done properly and generously: a fire built on the beach stones, foraged teas steeping alongside the kettle, and traditional fare cooked over the flames the way generations of families have done it on this very shore. You'll learn what the coastline offers to those who know how to look, eat extremely well, and leave with stories, skills, and a deeper connection to the land beneath your feet.
It also happens to be the perfect midday anchor for a south shore road trip. We built a full two-day plan around it, boat tour in the morning, boil up at noon, fossils and whales the next day: download the free Irish Loop Itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does boil up mean in Newfoundland?
In Newfoundland and Labrador, a boil up means an outdoor gathering, usually on a beach or in the woods, where a fire is built, tea is boiled in a kettle, and a simple meal is cooked over the flames. It can refer to both the event and the meal itself.
What is the difference between a boil up and a mug-up?
A mug-up is the smaller cousin: a pause for a cup of tea and a bite, traditionally taken during a day of work or travel. A boil up is the fuller event, with a fire and a proper cook-up. Every boil up contains a mug-up; not every mug-up grows into a boil up.
Is a boil up the same as a Jiggs dinner?
No. A Jiggs dinner is Newfoundland's traditional Sunday boiled dinner of salt beef and vegetables, cooked at home. A boil up is the outdoor fire-and-kettle tradition. Both involve a pot; only one involves a beach.
Can tourists do a boil up in Newfoundland?
Yes. Guided beach boil ups let visitors experience the tradition with the fire, food, and stories handled for you. Wildera hosts beach boil ups in Mobile on the Irish Loop, thirty minutes from St. John's, from spring through fall.