The kitchen has always been where I feel most at home. I started working in kitchens at 13, did my cooking apprenticeship at 17, and opened my first restaurant at 19. From there I spent years building the Hugos group with my brother. Our restaurants earned eight chef's hats, and in 2005 our pizza was named the best in the world at the American Pizza Challenge in New York. Then came television: hundreds of episodes of food and travel shows, 11 seasons as a judge on My Kitchen Rules, and hosting A Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking in the US, which was nominated for a Daytime Emmy.
About fifteen years ago everything changed. I changed the way I ate, stepped away from the restaurants, and have spent every year since learning, cooking and sharing what real food and simple daily habits can do. At Evolve I lead the kitchen: fire, seasonal produce and long tables where everyone eats together.
Nicola is a lover of the natural world and a devoted student of the Land. Alongside Pete, she cares for Evolve Sanctuary, a place born from their shared desire to offer its beauty and medicine to others.
With over 15 years exploring regenerative farming, Nicola’s path is one of reconnection, to the wisdom of the body, the depths of the psyche, and the rhythms and mysteries of Earth and beyond.
A Biomancy graduate, chajin in the Global Tea Hut lineage, multi-instrumentalist, and breath and equine therapy facilitator, she weaves somatic exploration into practices that invite presence, deepen connection and create space for each person’s unique gifts to unfold.
Evolve Sanctuary is the place we wanted to find ourselves: small, warm, unhurried and deeply connected to the land. We have hosted more than 200 retreats here for over 1,000 guests, and many come back for a second time and more. Whether you join us for cooking, a women's or men's retreat, a 5-Day Fast or bring your own group, we can't wait to welcome you.
A warm note from Pete and Nic when new dates open, a few times a year.