Wickanninish Cookbook

The Wickaninnish Cookbook is an invitation to cook with the rhythm of the seasons and the ingredients that define the West Coast. Each recipe carries the story of Tofino, from the forests that provide wild mushrooms to the Pacific Ocean that delivers Dungeness crab, oysters, and halibut. When you cook from these pages, you bring a piece of this special place into your home.

A family vision

In the cookbook, we honour the dream that Dr. Howard McDiarmid and his son Charles shared of creating a place where the beauty of the coast could be experienced and celebrated. What began as family gatherings at the McDiarmid cabin and picnics at Shell Beach became the Wickaninnish Inn and The Pointe Restaurant, where that vision continues through every meal served.

A group of three people are gathered in a rustic kitchen. One is at the sink with a faucet, and the others stand nearby. The kitchen features wooden walls and a large window. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed.

Taste of place

This cookbook is more than a collection of instructions. It brings together eight chefs who defined different eras of the kitchen, each contributing recipes they loved during their time on the coast and dishes that continue to inspire them today. It is a portrait of how a restaurant rooted itself in place and how the commitment to terroir guided every plate.

Recipes range from simple to refined. Breakfast dishes and beach fire nibbles sit alongside fine dining preparations, Inside, you will find West Coast Seafood Chowder, Orchard-Stuffed French Toast, Pan-Seared Halibut with Avocado Risotto and a Blueberry and Thyme Tart, to name a few. The Feather George cocktail, named for the artist carving at Henry Nolla's shed on Chesterman Beach, brings cedar and mezcal together with coastal character.

A pan filled with a seafood stew, featuring mussels, clams, cherry tomatoes, and peas in a red broth. The pan rests on the beach with sand and shells scattered around it.

Stories and images

Photographer Makito Inomata spent eight days capturing each chef's featured dishes on the property. The images reveal not just technique but the connection between food and landscape. Look closely, and you will find details: Tuktoyaktuk, the Inn's unofficial mascot, appears in one shot. Another was taken in the McDiarmid cabin with a photograph of Charles and his father visible in the background. You will find profiles of the chefs who shaped the kitchen, stories about suppliers who deliver ingredients at their peak, and descriptions of the forests, waters, and seasons that define this place.

Two people sit at a table, flipping through the Wickaninnish Cookbook. The visible page shows a dog near a wooden dog house in a lush, green setting.

Recognition

The Wickaninnish Cookbook was named a finalist for the IACP Cookbook Award in the Best Chefs & Restaurants category and shortlisted for the Taste Canada Awards. It documents the culinary evolution that helped establish Tofino as one of Canada's premier food destinations, capturing the history of The Pointe Restaurant and the broader scene that grew around it. Many of the chefs featured in these pages went on to open their own award-winning restaurants, carrying forward the commitment to place and quality that defined their time on the coast.

Bring it home

The Wickaninnish Cookbook is available through the Inn's gift shop and online store, local bookstores, and major retailers.

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