One of the slightly odd stop-offs on road trips between Nanaimo and Tofino is the Old Country Store in Coombs with its famous Goats on the Roof!

Wait what? This is a quaint grocery store 44km (or 38 minutes) outside of Nanaimo that has a grass covered roof, with resident goats in the summertime. The goats spend their time relaxing and munching grass while overlooking the rest of the village. This is a VERY touristy place to stop. But believe it or not, there is a whole lot more to see, shop and eat. It is also a great place to grab groceries or interesting food for a picnic.

Old Country Store

I was a bit surprised by how much I liked the old country store! Whoever stocks this spot has great taste, so they have tasty cheese, meats, pickles, deli foods as well as an amazing selections of sauces, chocolates, baking supplies and well, almost anything you could need! I loved the mixture of good quality goods from around the world, mixed in with local produce.

In addition to the food, there is homeware, hats, crafts, souvenirs and a whole range of goods.

 

Food Options in Coombs

Cafes: There is a cafe in the Old Country Market (so you can sit with snacks and coffee and watch the goats.) If that is too full, there is a second cafe over at the Coombs Emporium.
Mexican: There is a lovely patio at the Taqueria Cantina that serves hand made tacos
Pizza: A forest-facing patio with Italian food at Cukoo
Ice-cream: Gelato at Billy Gruff Creamery, or more ice-cream at the Coombs Emporium.
Doughnuts: For a sugar rush, there are some incredible doughnuts at Billy G’s Doughnut Shop
Bakery: If you need sausage rolls, bread or even baked cheese breads – Market Bakery

If you continue walking into the complex you’ll see sooo much more. This is just to give you an idea of the architecture of the Old Market and the Doughnut shop.

Fresh Produce – Root Cellar

Further back into the complex there is a traditional farm-stand area with really good quality fruit and vegetables. We bought loads of fruit here.

Homeware and Plants

There is a homeware store with loads of art, as well as an area for seedling, middle-size plants and even a garden center with giant pots, bonsai trees and bamboo screens.

Clothes

There is a fab clothes shop, Wabi Sabi Boardwear, as well as racks full of vintage shirts.

Grace United Church

Look for a walkway opposite the doughnut shop. You can see Grace United Church which is almost 80 years old. The Church is rooted in the area and is used as a community gathering place. It is nestled in the trees between the Goats on the Roof on one side and the Coombs Emporium on the other side.

Coombs Emporium

Past the church you’ll emerge into Statue Square, with a couple more shops (books, and gifts) as well as the huge Coombs Emporium.

The Emporium itself is part cafe, part homeware and part shop for wooden carvings. I am not sure who came up with this as a business model, but it is a interesting, if eccentric place to explore!

Fairy Castle

Oh! And there is a fairy Castle next to the road because why not!? This part of Coombs is perfectly whimsical, and the castle even has a goat on the roof to tie it into the rest of the area.

Practicalities visiting the goats

• Parking can be limited, especially during peak summer months and weekends. It’s best to come before noon.

• • The best parking spots are in front and behind the main market building. Just turn into the market area from the highway.
  • There is a large gravel lot at the end of the market road (this also has shade)
  • There’s another lot by the Coombs Emporium

• Opening hours:
  • The market, root cellar and garden center all open from 9am-7pm.
  • Shops mostly open from 10am-6pm
  • Restaurants and cafes open from 11am-12pm
  • Coombs Emporium is open from 9am-5pm
• When can you see goats: Goats are typically on the roof from the May long weekend until late October. They live on the roof 24/7 during that time. They spend their winters on a farm in French Creek, near Parksville.
• Accessibility: There are steps up to the Coombs Emporium, but other areas seem very accessible.
• Dogs: Dogos are allowed around the market (just not in stores unless they are service animals.) They are also allowed on the patios.

I was not sure what to expect when visiting the Goats on the Roof. It certainly sounds like a tourist trap – but somehow the area won us over with good food and whimsical cuteness. I was really impressed by the various dining options and the produce for sale is great too. None of us needed statues, wooden carvings or homeware, but if you have cash to burn it would be a fun place to shop. Plus, you’ll see cute goats! And everyone loves goats.