However, you still will be able to walk through the garden and enjoy the beautiful setting, July and August on weekends only, from 11 AM till 3 PM Thank you for your understanding. ❤️ The Story of Nina’s Hillside Garden
Nina's Hillside Garden·Sunday, January 21, 2018
We are only open in the summer, from mid June to mid of September! Every winter beautiful food sculptures grace the banquet room at the Kimberley Alpine Resort. Guest have admired sculptures and showpieces, made of chocolate, lard..., butter ice carvings, sugar pulling, sugar blowing and sugar cups, centerpieces large as 9’ x 4.5’ made from gingerbread or icing sugar. These works of art are created by Roland Gaschen the Resort Swiss chef. During a three year apprenticeship he studied pastry-making and cake decorating. It’s an art. After Roland completed his apprenticeship, hi went to Vancouver to work for Super Value at the age of 21. taught bakery staff in 20 different stores in B.C. and Alberta, including the Super Value at Cranbrook. Then worked in a Super Value for three years in Calgary, then came to Kimberley in 1977 to cook at the Resort. “ I always liked Kimberley, used to ski a lot, and do sum fishing in the summer, it's beautiful here! Roland returned to Switzerland for more cooking training and took a six month hotel management course, so that he and his wife, Nina could operate a restaurant in Bern. In 1982, Roland and Nina returned to Canada and operated a restaurant in a wilderness camp near Williams Lake. They came back to Kimberley in 1983 and Roland has been preparing gourmet Banquets, dinners and marvelous sculptures at the Resort till he retired in the year 2011, to work with his wife at Nina’s Hillside Garden. Owned, build and operated by Roland and Nina. Nina’s Garden Tea House has been open since 2000. But the garden itself began many years earlier, when Nina and Roland moved to this house in 1984. Roland ,who is a pastry chef , turned to building, he wanted something that would last a bit longer then all the food sculptures he was doing at the Resort, also wanted to make Nina feel bit more at home-so he built a Swiss village for her! Nina and Roland have made everything that you see in the garden and every building has personal meaning. Nina, being very friendly and sociable person, wanted something to keep her busy-this has turned out to be beneficial fore everyone, as Nina gets to see all her friends and her friends get to enjoy the beautiful garden and fresh food! The lunches are made fresh every day. Your sandwich is served on a fresh-baked Swiss bun and is decorated beautifully with fresh fruits and vegetables. Nina and Roland have create many unique and tasty soups, Roland as pastry chef, makes all of the wonderful cakes himself. We hope you enjoy your fresh lunch, served by close family friends, in our beautiful Hillside Garden. Love Nina & Roland
We are only open in the summer, from mid June to mid of September!
