Dual passions. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Carl Wilks photo.
In the pristine wilderness of Manitoba’s Hudson Bay coastline, where polar bears roam and northern lights dance, Chef Carl Wilks stands at his kitchen window, one eye on a simmering sauce, the other scanning the tundra beyond. At Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, the boundaries between culinary artistry and wildlife observation blur into a unique harmony that defines Wilks’s extraordinary journey.
Wilks’s culinary path began in London’s prestigious kitchens, where he spent a decade working under legendary figures including Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay, and Gary Rhodes. These Michelin-starred crucibles forged his technical precision and creative vision, setting the foundation for a career that would eventually lead him far from urban refinement to the raw beauty of Canada’s wilderness.
Black bear in flowers. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Carl Wilks photo.
“The creativity of it, using fresh ingredients and making people happy,” Wilks says of his culinary passion. “Seeing the smiles on the faces of the guests, and hearing silence at the table are the best compliments you can get… because they’re enjoying the food so much, they’re just absorbed in it.”
After immigrating to Canada in 2008, Wilks, now 51, continued his pursuit of culinary excellence, leading prestigious kitchens in Whistler including Il Camineto and Bearfoot Bistro. But it was during his subsequent time with Maple Leaf Adventures, sailing the British Columbia coast, that he discovered his second calling.
Surrounded by breaching whales and coastal bears, he found himself reaching for a camera rather than his chef’s knife. “I’ve only been using a camera for about two years,” he notes, his Canon R6 Mark II becoming as essential to his craft as his cooking implements.
Polar bear in fall colours on the runway. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Carl Wilks photo.
At Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, Wilks dual passions converged. The lodge’s wraparound windows offer a panoramic view of the wilderness, allowing Wilks to maintain his vigilant watch over both domains. “I’m very efficient,” he explains. “I’ve always got one eye on what I’m doing in the kitchen and one eye outside. And the guests also let us know if there is wildlife around the lodge.”
Working alongside Sheena Flores, who handles the lodge’s beloved bread and pastry program, Wilks orchestrates meals that honor both tradition and innovation. He takes the recipes from Churchill Wild’s best-selling Blueberries & Polar Bears cookbook series and adds his own touches. Everything is made from scratch, from morning bread to evening desserts, filling the lodge with inviting aromas that welcome guests back from their wilderness adventures.
Blueberries & Polar Bears cookbooks. Over 100,000 copies sold.
Reflecting on the cooking process, Wilks notes, “We have to follow the cookbooks to a point,” then adds thoughtfully, “And some things are so good, they just don’t need changing. There are really good pastry and bread recipes in there, which I’m taking away with me.” He continues, “I’m learning, and it’s good to learn something new. And I’m loving it. That’s another thing I like about cooking – it’s just infinite. If you give one recipe to 10 people, it’s going to come out 10 different ways.”
Wilks was at Nanuk for all the polar bear safaris from July through November this year, including the Arctic Discovery, Hudson Bay Odyssey, Summer Dual Lodge Safari, Fall Dual Lodge Safari, the Polar Bear Photo Safari and the Cloud Wolves of the Kaska Coast safari. His extended stay allowed him to witness the dramatic transitions from season to season. “This is a different part of the world I’ve never been to,” he reflects. “It’s forever changing. There’s so much wildlife. It’s brilliant. I just love having the opportunity to take a photograph and then just being part of that moment.”
Polar bear on seal kill. One of thirteen. Carl Wilks photo.
His most memorable encounter came during a summer excursion, when he witnessed thirteen polar bears feeding on a seal while a pack of wolves relaxed nearby, all seemingly indifferent to the humans watching in the background. “We walked past six wolves to get closer, “ said Wilks. They were just lounging in the grass sleeping and didn’t bat an eyelid. We literally just walked right through the pack to get to the bears, and we were only 100 meters away. It was unreal.”
After the season at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, Wilks trades polar bears for powder snow, returning to Selkirk Mountain Experience, a remote ski touring lodge perched 2,000 meters above Revelstoke. There, he’ll continue his practice of creating exceptional cuisine in extraordinary places, though his camera will never be far from reach.
Wolf nap. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Carl Wilks photo.
The perpetual movement between remote locations suits Wilks perfectly. “I don’t really like cities,” he says, describing how he has “naturally navigated further and further out” from urban centers. In these distant outposts, he has found his true calling – not just as a chef or a photographer, but as someone who bridges the gap between wilderness and comfort, between observation and creation.
Wilks achieved a delicate balance of his dual crafts at Nanuk. You could see it in his photos, and in the faces of satiated guests. Each day brought new opportunities to capture the ultimate shot or craft the perfect dish. The panoramic windows at Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge didn’t just frame the wilderness, they ignited a passion for both creating and enjoying…
Delicious.
Moose antler appetizer. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Carl Wilks photo.
Hudson Bay Odyssey. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge.
