Lyonel Doherty
Times-Chronicle
An Osoyoos area chef is featured in a National Geographic road trip video that is turning a lot of heads.
Chris Van Hooydonk of Backyard Farm Chef’s Table on Fruitvale Way is the first business featured in the three-minute video that showcases what the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan have to offer.
At 21 seconds in, the camera follows Van Hooydonk as he walks through his garden sourcing ingredients for his next creation. He emphasizes that his main goal is for people to make an authentic connection with him, his farm and the community around them.
“An authentic, 100 per cent memory-making experience,” he says.
From there, the video proceeds to visit other locales such as wineries and bike trails, including Myra Canyon.
For Van Hooydonk, the video experience began two years ago when Bryan Smith from Reel Water Productions approached him while scouting locations. He wanted to include a culinary piece to accentuate the unique agri-tourism sector in the Okanagan.
Smith spent a day on the farm, hanging out in the kitchen while Van Hooydonk prepared the next menu. It wasn’t long before Smith observed a real passion that the chef demonstrated for sustainable agriculture.
According to Van Hooydonk, the Okanagan can boast the “best growing region in Canada.”
Even after taking a thrashing from COVID-19, Van Hooydonk is not focusing on lost revenue but on authenticity and uniqueness.
He said the video allowed him to be himself, which is all he wants to be.
The chef noted that to be featured in a video produced by National Geographic is a “chance of a lifetime” in a small town.
“I’ve watched it 30 times and I still get shivers up my spine. It captured what we are doing here, and it’s fantastic to get the recognition.”
Moving forward, Van Hooydonk is in the process of building an outdoor patio to sustain the business during the pandemic.
The chef noted they have a new apprentice this year and are looking at a full summer of bookings. So, ya, things are looking up.
To view the video, visit https://youtu.be/RtYEFAf2qxY.
(Photo contributed)
