Today we were back at Hopcott to get an update on what’s new on their farm. For visitors, there is a bistro, a sun soaked patio, and gourmet market, so plenty to occupy your time with.
We started with a quick tour of their gardens, stopping to pick and eat some freshly ripened red strawberries and raspberries, right from off of the vines. Both were wonderful sweet treats and a testament to their skill as multi-generational farmers.
They have also donated a 50×50 plot to the school district to serve as the Environmental School’s community garden. The goal of this specialty school is to have the kids outside as much as possible and gardening and growing is a great way to do that.
We then checked out the status of their cranberry fields, their most recent expansion, with all its crop yield going to Ocean Spray and their co-op. Here, we were assured that Hopcott will once again be hosting their long table lunches within the flooded fields during cranberry harvesting season. Here they offer casual comfort plates featuring their beef, much like how it is at their bistro.
Guests can also expect cranberry tours, butchery work shops, and their annual beer and rib fest. Whereas other farm properties have expanded their offerings to include experiences and seasonal photo ops, Hopcott intends on continuing to be solely food centric. Focused on circle dichotomy and goal of being zero waste.
We paused for lunch at their bistro, enjoying a warmer day and their expanded patio. There is now more seating, picnic benches out on the lawn, and plenty of golf umbrellas to shield.
You still order from the bistro counter and are given a buzzer when your food is ready for pick up. Their menu has expanded and been updated since I last visited. The whole of it is a collection of burgers, sandwiches, and soups. All of which are made in house, which we got to see, with a quick dip into their kitchen operations.
On this day it was an army of their beef pies made assembly style. They don’t offer it on their bistro menu, and I think they should. Instead, you can pick up a couple to go from their refrigerated section.
I went with their grilled cheese and paired it with a bowl of their chilli, being fairly well versed with their food menu, and having never tried either until today. Both did not disappoint. The sandwich with a thick enough slice of cheddar for a substantial and stringy cheese pull. Whereas the chilli acted like a dip, similarly to how the more classic pairing of tomato soup would. It was a hearty chilli with plenty of ground beef and kidney beans mixed together, mingled with tomato and carrot chunks.
This was my guest’s first visit and she ordered their Beet & Blue Burger. A 7oz Prime Rib Patty, Blue Cheese, Pickled Beet, Garlic Aioli, Lettuce, and Red Onion. She enjoyed the moist patty cooked with wood chips, and the more unique toppings.
She paired her burger with a side salad, so we got some tater tots to share. This is new on their menu, like a poutine but with crispy tots instead of fries. The Korean BBQ Tots read like the most interesting, so we went with that. Bulgogi Beef, Fried Egg, Kimchi, Gochujang Mayo, Green Onion, and Sesame Seeds. There was plenty going on to keep things interesting through texture. The egg and its gumminess in contrast to the crispy tots really did it for me.
After lunch, to walk off our meal, we took a tour of the ranch portion of the farm. We took note of their oldest barn, purchased in 1943 for $9k and turned into a dairy farm in the 50’s thereafter.
Now they are primarily raising and selling beef with their own l’abattoir and processing operation. All the beef we had for lunch before and all the beef available in their market place comes from the cows that they purchase and raise until maturity. Only 4-5 farms across Canada are as vertical as they are.
They grow their own feed for said cows and will eventually use all of it in their productions. Harvesting meat and using intangible parts for fertilizer. The Hopcott team prides themselves on such sustainable practices.
They don’t purchase calves, but it just so happened that two heifers (the actual name for female cows who have not given birth to calves yet) came to their farm pregnant and have since given birth. Two cows, two calves.
We then ended our day at their marketplace, doing some casual shopping. Given their quality goods and artisan products, many consider their shops only for special occasions, instead of every day grocery shopping.
When I am here I do like to indulge and pick up some unique products. And the best part is that now with the increased pricing from a general chain grocery store, they are now closer to their farm prices. So I much rather spend a couple more dollars to get better quality goods. Products with transparency and meat from well treated cattle. This serves the community and often the money goes back to the community.
Hopcott Farms
18385 Old Dewdney Trunk Rd, Pitt Meadows, BC V3Y 2R9
hopcottfarms.ca
