New inn opens

By Kara McIntosh

With a one-and-a-half-year-long renovation under its roof, the Sequel Inn on Garden of Eden Road is now ready to open its doors to guests.

The husband-and-wife team of Eric te Boekhorst and Lisa Rutland bought the 50-acre property with the dream of reinventing the existing bed and breakfast into a contemporary country inn.

Both te Boekhorst and Rutland have worked in the food industry for more than 20 years. te Boekhorst is a graduate of the Stratford Chef School and Rutland has experience in the catering, hotel and restaurant industries.

After owning and operating Sequel Catering and Café in Toronto, they decided to focus on catering and started to look for a country property in the Creemore area.

“We wanted to move to the country and fell in love with Creemore,” Rutland explained. “The business opportunity presented itself with the pre-existing bed and breakfast on the property we chose, so we renovated and reinvented it.”

They have created an inn that Rutland describes as “an upscale country experience where city meets country with luxe suites, lounges and locally inspired artisan food offerings. It will have spa and gym facilities going forward to meet the needs of ski, cycle and outdoor enthusiasts.”

Reflecting their eco-friendly approach, all the furniture is made from reclaimed wood and they carry the Aveda spa product line.

Rutland and te Boekhorst continue to run their business in Toronto, and have already started catering in Creemore.
“We are so excited to be part of the Creemore community and to work with other businesses to attract more visitors to our area,” Rutland said.