Savour a culinary retreat in B.C.’s Nimmo Bay

Nimmo Bay is one of those places that inspires the saying, “those who know, know.” Either you are not aware of its existence, or you are one of “those who know,” those who have heard of this legendary eco-wilderness resort that has a reputation for unrivalled guest experiences set in the most stunning, remote wilderness location, and dream of visiting one day.

I had the pleasure of attending a Savour the Coast Culinary Retreat at Nimmo Bay, and I can attest that some legends do live up to their hype and, in this case, go far beyond.

Located on the lower edge of the southern Great Bear Rainforest, Nimmo Bay is only accessible by air or sea. So our entry comes with a big splash in an amphibious aircraft that took off from the Port Hardy airport. The resort comes into view, with its row of red-roofed cabins overlooking the bay and backed by complete wilderness, and soon, we are warmly greeted by Nimmo Bay staff on the main dock.

We are a mixed group of people who love the outdoors and, even more than that, love to eat. In this day and age, qualities such as sustainable, local, wild and seasonal play a part in the enjoyment of food, and we have come to the best place for this. Nimmo Bay is intimately rooted in a sense of place, and the resort’s culinary offerings incorporate wild-foraged ingredients, such as nodding onions, spruce tips, seaweeds pulled from the surrounding waters, and a bounty of fresh-caught seafood.

For the Savour the Coast retreat, Nimmo Bay has brought in chef Benjamin Wood and guide Lorie Penton from Newfoundland’s Fogo Island Inn; and the owners of Bella Wines in Naramata (whose wines we will soon be drinking).

Once relaxing in my cabin, I review the retreat itinerary, which includes a forest forage walk, an ocean snorkelling and seaweed tour, and most importantly, many culinary experiences.

On the first day, our small group is guided by Irvin Speck, a Hereditary Chief and guardian of nearby Hopetown, a village of the Gwawa’enuxw First Nation. Along with Lorie and Nimmo Bay guide Damien Janney, we are led through a rainforest trail where we learn what plants are traditionally foraged – and start tasting them. Lorie cuts down a licorice fern and hands out samples of its inner core, which really does taste just like licorice!

Irvin punctures a bulbous spot on a balsam fir tree, and as gooey sap starts to run out, he talks about all the ways this sap is used in Indigenous medicinal practices. I ask if it can help with some bothersome eczema on my hand. He gives me a dollop to spread on and I’m shocked to feel the inflammation immediately go down.

As we emerge at the far end of the trail, we are met by a boat that brings us towards what looks like a floating dock with a large canvas tent on it. As we get closer, sounds of delight and awe ensue from our group as the Nimmo Bay culinary team has prepared a beautiful lunch of warm, brothy, Asian-flavoured noodle soup in the tent.

As our trip progresses, it becomes clear that dining at Nimmo Bay is an adventure. Not only is the food crafted from the freshest, most thoughtfully curated ingredients, but it is also experienced in numerous wild places outside of the resort.

That evening, back at the resort, we are treated to a scavenger hunt of appetizers.

On day two, we head out on the boat again, and Nimmo Bay staff pull up traps full of spot prawns and crabs. We watch a black bear ambling along the shoreline, and visit the Indigenous village of Hopetown, guided again by Irvin.

After a richly fulfilling morning on the boat, we glide toward a little beach, only to find a barbecue lunch and a long table set beautifully in the forest beyond. Again, every morsel of food is delightful, including a panzanella salad with roasted vegetables and fresh basil.

That evening, back at the resort, the morning’s freshly caught prawns are skewered on long sticks for us to roast ourselves over an open fire on the main dock, and immediately devour.

I have always found life underwater to be a magical sanctuary, so our snorkelling excursion on day three was something I was eagerly awaiting. Guided by sustainable seaweed harvester and expert (and mermaid) Amanda Swinimer, we suit up in wetsuits, masks and snorkels and follow the flick of her fins into the depths. The strong current sweeps us along a fantastical journey of iridescent kelps and curly seaweeds that she taught us about ahead of our plunge.

When finally surfacing from the dream depths, we find the mother ship waiting to bring us back aboard and quickly ferry us to a small island. Shivering in my wetsuit, I see on this little island a fire on the rocks waiting to warm us up.

Once stripped of my neoprene and beginning to warm up, I follow a little pathway that reveals a circle of chairs and blankets set up for us. Cups of warm soup and a beautiful lunch are handed out to each of us, tucked like babies into our blankets. This is the ultimate wilderness experience, but with all the luxuries possible, and more than I could have even imagined, at our fingertips.

Back at Nimmo, we replay the day’s events in the outdoor hot tubs situated adjacent to a steep waterfall that cuts right through the resort, providing water, hydro power and, in our case, a refreshing and powerful shower in between soaks in the hot tub.

The conversation turns toward marvelling at the experience of the resort itself.

“Every time I come back to our cabin, it seems like it has been tidied. My swimsuit that I left on the floor has been hung up, a shirt that I left flung on the bed has been folded and put in a drawer, and yet I never see anyone! The staff are like magical fairies!”

Our last night at the resort is bittersweet. Our group, now bonded by deeply soulful and wildly adventurous experiences, will soon have to part ways, but we are also sitting down to what will be the most memorable meal of my lifetime.

Nimmo Bay Chef Rob Boland and guest chef Benjamin Wood have pulled out all the stops for our final tasting menu. It starts with a rockfish ceviche in rhubarb tiger’s milk with chive flowers, a tempura shiso leaf, albacore tuna belly, kaboza aioli, and sesame-breaded salsify flavoured with orange and marjoram, paired with a 2022 sparkling Muscat from Bella Wines. The meal continues with something like 10 or 11 courses, each one more delightful than the last, eliciting oohs and ahhs from the group and finally outright applause when the chefs emerge from the kitchen.

Among the courses are Dungeness crab with sea urchin, squid ink sopressini pasta with a wild morel “cafe au lait,” chickpea tofu with sea lettuce and spruce tips, and for dessert, a fireweed tea crémeux with wild rose meringue, wildflower honey sorbet, toasted tree pollen and oat crumb. A second dessert is nori in caramel with wild-harvested huckleberry pate de fruits, paired with Bella Wines’ sparkling Chinato.

As our amphibious plane begins to putter out of Nimmo Bay and back to our normal world, we reflect and appreciate that life really doesn’t get better than this. Growing up in Victoria, British Columbia has always been a special place in my heart. This retreat was an incredible opportunity to enjoy some of its magnificent wilderness, and to learn about an Indigenous community and some of its plant wisdom, all with the most exceptional guest experience. The trip will remain a highlight of my whole life, and my taste buds agree.

This feature appeared in the fall 2024 edition of Boulevard Victoria.

Plan your adventures throughout the West Coast at westcoasttraveller.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thewestcoasttraveller. And for the top West Coast Travel stories of the week delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our weekly Armchair Traveller newsletter!