Our Story
This year The Wooden Shoe in Victoria is celebrating it’s 70th anniversary! The business started in Victoria in 1956, in the original owner’s home. From their home, they delivered Dutch imports all over Vancouver Island. Eventually, an actual store was set up in 1958 and remained there for a number of years.
The store most customers will recognize, in Quadra Village, opened its doors on November 1st 1965 and it has been a staple on the South Island ever since. Eric and Nicolette, the current owners, took over in July of 2019. The couple moved to Canada from the Netherlands in 2005, and Nicolette had already started to work at the Wooden Shoe back in September of 2013.
“We were hoping to start a business here, but never thought that one day we would actually own a Dutch store.”
The Wooden Shoe is a real family business, their daughter helps out on certain days and throughout breaks. Tynke and Jeanine both work in the store as well. Tynke has been working in the store since 2018, and Jeanine since 2025. They’re always willing to help out when there’s an extra skid or two, especially in the Holiday season. They are both valuable members of the team and make the Wooden Shoe even more authentically Dutch!
“We shifted the store from being purely a deli into an all around Dutch store, focusing on Dutch groceries, licorice, giftware, all kinds of housewares, and last but absolutely not least: cheese. We carry about 75 different kinds of licorice and over 20 types of Dutch cheese! We love what we do and it is wonderful to hear stories from our customers about their experiences in the Netherlands and Canada. We are hoping to continue to sell Dutch traditional food and more houseware and giftware and keep the ‘trip down memory lane’ alive.”
The Wooden Shoe Team really appreciate doing business with Global Reach Confections, one of our main suppliers. Ever since we took over the store, our rep Martin has been there to help us. The office and warehouse in Alberta are wonderful, they respond promptly, our orders arrive quickly and are very well taken care of. We look forward to continuing doing business with Global Reach Confections for years to come!
