Beachcomber. Photograph by Dolf Vermeulen.
The Sunshine Coast is nestled on the southwest corner of mainland British Columbia, but its seclusion—notably that it is accessible only by water or air—gives it a distinct island vibe.
This easygoing nature does not result in a lack of quality, however, especially when it comes to food and drink. From Gibsons to Halfmoon Bay, the culinary scene just across Howe Sound is transforming.
With an abundance of fresh fish and farm products, locals are experimenting with ingredients in big ways, and having a lot of fun doing it. Take, for example, the family behind Bruinwood Estate Distillery, the first standalone distillery on the Sunshine Coast. Jeff Barringer and Danise Lofstrom know a thing a two about drinks; they were producers on the television series BC Wine Cellar, exploring the province’s rapidly growing vino industry. After a dinner with Alex Nichol of Nichol Vineyards in Naramata, the husband-and-wife duo began dreaming up a future of handcrafted spirits.
With an abundance of fresh fish and farm products, locals are experimenting with ingredients in big ways, and having a lot of fun doing it.
Grain to glass in 18 days is the timeline for vodka, but gin takes longer to perfect. “For our gin,” Lofstrom explains, “we take the vodka and add botanicals to it. In the latest recipe, there are 13 different botanicals and then it steeps and gets distilled for a third time.” Leading with classic juniper, the gin also has flavours of coriander, citrus, sarsaparilla, and anise—a perfect cocktail mixer. The self-taught distillers use B.C. ingredients, herbs, and spices to create their small batches, and take the time to use their diverse palates to make something unique and surprising.
Another must-visit spot in Roberts Creek is The Gumboot Cafe, which has been serving locals and visitors for 20 years. Whether it’s a breakfast burrito in the morning or a kale salad in the evening, this quaint little spot carries the heart of the community.
And over in the coastal town of Gibsons, a dining renaissance is taking place thanks to new joints like Buono Osteria, a classic Italian restaurant from chef Mike Buono (son of former B.C. Lions head coach Wally Buono), and Lunitas Mexican Eatery, offering mouth-watering charred avocado and roasted poblano burritos slathered with salsa verde and ranchero sauce. Both restaurants show off fabulous views of the Gibsons Landing’s marina and the bobbing boats that float here year-round. But the most iconic restaurant to call this marina home is the veteran Smitty’s Oyster House, a Gibsons institution. Stafford Lumley, previous owner of Vancouver’s Rodney’s Oyster House, transformed the forgotten marine repair shop into the seafood haven it is today after a family stroll down the sea walk in 2005.
Older generations will know Gibsons as the setting of longtime hit TV show The Beachcombers, which first aired in 1972 and ran until 1990. Today, the name lives on through a new coffee shop in town. “This doesn’t exist in Gibsons,” says Martin DesRosiers, owner of Beachcomber Coffee Company, on a busy Sunday morning. “A lot of people come in here and say it reminds them of a cafe in East Van.” After returning home to the Sunshine Coast following years in Vancouver, DesRosiers decided to create a brick-and-mortar location for the award-winning craft coffee company he founded in 2015.
New York City never offered the breathtaking views of the Salish Sea and Vancouver Island, after all.
Also new to the Coast is Christopher Norman Chocolates. In Halfmoon Bay, master chocolatier and West Vancouver native John Down and partner Joe Guiliano have found their bliss after 25 years in New York City, where together they grew Christopher Norman Chocolates into one of Manhattan’s finest. An artist by trade (he studied at Emily Carr), Down always had an eye for beautiful things, so when he was forced to make truffles for his exhibition opening in 1990, it wasn’t surprising that guests completely fell for his creations. Realizing he was onto something, Down used his fine art talent to launch Christopher Norman Chocolates in New York in 1992.
He opened an atelier off the Bowery, and what began as a small business making chocolates for dinner parties quickly became an empire. Florence Fabricant, a New York Times food writer, tasted Down’s rosemary-walnut truffle and gushed about it. Then Martha Stewart came knocking, calling Christopher Norman Chocolates “mouth-wateringly good,” and then Anthony Bourdain’s and Vicki Gabereau’s television shows wanted to show off Down’s work. From lecturing on chocolate and art at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington to designing a chocolate replica of Frank Lloyd Wright’s house Falling Water, Down was the talk of town; his creations became signature products at New York institutions like Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Henri Bendel’s, Dean & DeLuca, and Neiman Marcus.
But then 9/11 happened. The Christopher Norman storefront was just a block away from the New York Stock Exchange, and their lives were greatly impacted by the attack—so Down and Guiliano put their chocolate business on hold. When Down’s sister came to visit them in New York and showed them a Sunshine Coast real estate magazine, the couple knew they had found their new home. So in 2013, they made the move to the Coast, where the pace was slower and the quality of life was higher. New York never offered the breathtaking views of the Salish Sea and Vancouver Island, after all.
So now Down makes chocolate here, providing impeccable delights for this tight-knit town. There’s the fleur de sel and caramel dark chocolate bar with handmade caramel, for example, and a hazelnut gianduja chocolate bar with a nutty core of hazelnut butter. Christopher Norman Chocolates is finding its footing once again—and this chapter, much like the Sunshine Coast’s growing culinary scene, is shaping up to be the sweetest of all.
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