Meet Chef Chris Van Hooydonk
I have been cooking professionally for 30 years. Inspired by an encouraging history of mentorship, Backyard Farm is the culmination of 30 years in the culinary industry. Moving back to the Okanagan in 2006, assuming the role of Restaurant Chef, followed by Executive Chef at Burrowing Owl Estate Wineries’ “The Sonora Room Restaurant”, I felt I was home, and ready to put down roots. My career has taken me to many places, helping to shape my vision into what the last 12 years have become at Backyard Farm. I have been fortunate enough to live in some of the most amazing places, including 3 years in Boston at The Four Seasons Hotel, working in Whistler under Chef Bernard Casavant, along with 4 years of formal apprenticeship with Chef Jim Armstrong at The Harvest Golf Club In Kelowna, finishing as top apprentice in 2001. A short stint onboard Holland America Lines in the main galley early in my career inspired some immersive and cultural vacations, while I continued my pursuit of growth as a young, entry level cook.
And now, we celebrate our 12th season in operation, and it is looking to be the most inspired season thus far at Backyard Farm Chef’s Table.
Offering seating for up to 20 guests, and with a commercial, open concept kitchen in the background, we offer ingredient driven menus for private groups, along with pre and post season ticketed events and winery partnered events for the public. We utilize 100% of what is grown on our 2 acre hobby orchard, truly integrating the produce grown here into our menu development. Our pursuit is not a new one, rather less common in our region. Motivated by the perceived value of time, our focus is to allow our exclusive schedule to reflect a quality minded approach to hospitality and culinary experiences, while embracing an opportunity to find balance between entrepreneurship and family. Furthermore, it is the story behind the food that encourages conversation and awareness of responsible sourcing, effort and a template for our creativity. Our idea is to truly immerse our guests in the experience, in the history of our farm, and encourage a future visit to see what we are up to next. This is a “food and farm forward concept, with guests encouraged to bring along their own wines for the afternoon or evening, sourced from the wealth of wineries, breweries and distillers in our valley.
Our confident and dedicated service and culinary team are truly invested in helping us grow, and we are so grateful to have them with us! It takes teamwork to make the dream work, and our approach to a well-rounded experience is only possible with the efforts of our small but mighty crew.
Our focus of bringing “the table to the farm” is enhanced by the efforts of my wife, Mikkel, who tends to the numerous raised beds, ground crops, flowers and orchard on the property. Her passion for farming and growing food is only seconded to her role as mom to our beautiful daughters Ainsley and Baker.
With a long term vision in mind, many developments are underway, expanding the future offerings available from the team at Backyard Farm. For more details as they develop, check out our News Page, or visit our social media pages:
Instagram: @byfchef, @chrisvanhooydonk
Facebook: Backyard Farm, Chris Van Hooydonk