Backyard Farm's visionary human touch
InBritish Columbia, Culinary Trips, Food & Drink Reviews, Okanagan Valley, Oliver, Osoyoos
June 20, 2016ByAdrian Brijbassi
Chris Van Hooydonk enjoys the openness and interaction of his Chef's Table in the Okanagan Valley. (Adrian Brijbassi/Vacay.ca)
Story by Adrian Brijbassi
Vacay.ca Managing Editor
OLIVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — Chris Van Hooydonk strikes me as a man with the spirit of a pioneer. He has built a culinary experience that is singularly unique in British Columbia and done most of the lifting with his own hands.
The kitchen and dining room at Backyard Farm is inside a circa 1926 house that Van Hooydonk renovated after he and his wife purchased the property from the previous owners, an octogenarian couple who had lived in the space for more than 60 years.
Van Hooydonk says he would talk to his neighbour down the hill about his plan to acquire the man's house and its land, and create Backyard Farm.
The Chef's Table experience at Backyard Farm includes some of the best wines from the Oliver-Osooyos region of the Okanagan Valley. (Adrian Brijbassi/Vacay.ca)
"It's about keeping alive the memory of what he and his family built, too," Van Hooydonk says about the enterprise. "The reason I'm able to do what I am doing is in part because they put such love into this property."
To that love, Van Hooydonk has added his vision and expertise as a chef and agriculturist. Backyard Farm has dozens of fruit trees, its own bee hives for making honey, and a chicken coop where a plentiful amount of eggs are laid each day. With the bounty of this land, Van Hooydonk is able to source an abundance of the ingredients he needs for his intimate and fun dinners.
20 Seats and 1 Unforgettable Night in the Okanagan
A long, wood table is the centrepiece for an earthy yet sophisticated dining room that seats 20. At the Chef's Table, Van Hooydonk treats his guests to a multi-course, wine-paired dinner that is as close to a farm-to-fork fine-dining experience as you'll find in the province. With those fresh ingredients and an exceptional selection of wines, Van Hooydonk — the former executive chef at nearby Burrowing Owl Estate Winery — is able to use his culinary skills to present a masterful feast, making Backyard Farm among the best and most unique places to dine in the country.
Chris Van Hooydonk's vision for Backyard Farm involves shedding light on how food can be produced, harvested and served all in one property, giving diners one of the freshest meals possible at a Canadian restaurant. (Adrian Brijbassi/Vacay.ca)
"I couldn't do this if I worked at a restaurant, turning over 150 or 200 plates a night, working 15 or 16 hours a day. So, if I was going to do it, I had to do it here and in this way," Van Hooydonk says amid one of the several visits he makes from the kitchen to the table during the evening.
Van Hooydonk is a rebel, too. He soured on some of the practices of the mainstream culinary industry and opted to do his own thing, on his own terms. His driving force is his desire to be close to his daughter, Ainsley, as she grows up — something he couldn't do if he remained working as a chef at a restaurant or estate.
Locally sourced duck is served multiple ways at Backyard Farm. (Adrian Brijbassi/Vacay.ca)
There are some examples of other establishments in Canada that resemble Backyard Farm. Most notably, Eigensinn Farm in Ontario, where chef Michael Stadtlander occasionally hosts $600-per-person dinner events on his sprawling farm near Georgian Bay, and the Bonavista Social Club, located in Newfoundland's heartachingly beautiful Bonavista Peninsula and where chef Katie Holmes has created a bakery and restaurant using ingredients sourced from the property's own yard.
"At the end of the day, I'm doing this because of my family," Van Hooydonk says. "I want to be there for my daughter and at the same time I want to pursue my passion for cooking. This is the best way to do both."
MORE ABOUT CHEF'S TABLE BACKYARD FARM
Location: 3692 Fruitvale Way, Oliver, BC (see map below)
Reservations: Backyard Farm accepts reservations for dinners, cooking workshops and more. Soon, a guest room will be available for rent on the property. For details, email Chris Van Hooydonk at chris@backyard-farm.ca.
Rates: Meals are charged on a per-person rate, with a $500 minimum charge for the space. Groups up to 12 guests can also be hosted for an informal cooking demonstration. Workshops last four hours and include a three-course menu for $100 per person plus tax.
Website: backyard-farm.ca
More Information on Visiting the Okanagan Valley: See the websites of Destination Osoyoos and Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association when planning your trip.
Chris Van Hooydonk is excited about the bee hives that have recently begun producing honey on his property in Oliver. (Adrian Brijbassi/Vacay.ca)
More Vacay.ca' Coverage of Backyard Farm
Read Jody Robbins' story "Okanagan's Finest Farm-to-Table Feast"
backyard farmbritish columbiachefs tableChris Van Hooydonkculinary tripsfarm-to-table diningfarmsfeatured-postsfoodokanagan valleyolivertravelwines
Adrian Brijbassi
Adrian is the editor of Vacay.ca and VacayNetwork.com. He also edited "Inspired Cooking", a nutrition-focused cookbook featuring 20 of Canada's leading chefs and in support of the cancer-fighting charity, InspireHealth. "Inspired Cooking" was created in honour of Adrian's late wife and Vacay.ca co-founder, Julia Pelish, who passed away of brain cancer in 2016. Adrian has won numerous awards for his travel writing, travel photography, and fiction, and has visited more than 55 countries. He is a former editor at the Toronto Star and New York Newsday, and was the social media and advocacy manager for Destination Canada. His articles have frequently appeared in the Huffington Post, Globe & Mail, and other major publications. He has appeared on national and local broadcasts, talking about travel, sports, creative writing and journalism. In 2019, he launched Trippzy, a travel-trivia app developed to educate consumers about destinations around the world.
For foodies, Calgary is a bonanza
Banff Springs offers mountains of food
Stratford Shows the World it has an Appetite For Words
Hit the Peak of Christmas in Vancouver
Wishing Nunavut a Happy 20th Birthday
New article: "Why #Cozumel Is a Canadian's Dream Winter Escape". Discover reasons this eco-friendly island in the Mayan Riviera should be your choice to getaway from this year's bitter cold. http://bit.ly/VacayCozumelMX
Sober thoughts on #climatecrisis & #tourism from Bob Sanford of UN University Institute for Water, Environment & Health: "High mountain ranges are warming as fast as the Arctic. … Permafrost loss is a ticking bomb for high mountain regions, including in #Canada." @IMPACTnational