German food at the Village
Come hungry.
For more than twenty-five years this has been the part of the day people plan around. Shop for an hour, stop and eat, then go back for another look.
It's all made by German cooks and bakers who have been doing this a long time, and none of it can be found anywhere else in Nanaimo.
THE ONES PEOPLE COME BACK FOR
Bratwurst
The family recipe, grilled to order and served in a bun. Have it on its own, or as the German Platter with sauerkraut and Franconian potato salad.
Stollen
Dense with fruit, buried under icing sugar, and the surest sign that Christmas has started. By the slice at the food counter, or take a whole one home from the Oh Happy Bake stand.
ALSO ON THE TABLE
- Pretzels
- Soft, salted and warm. Easy to eat with one hand while you shop.
- Sauerkraut
- Sweet and sour in equal measure, and it goes with everything on the plate.
- Potato salad
- Franconian, and nothing like the picnic version you're used to.
- Lebkuchen
- Soft German gingerbread, spiced and a little chewy.
- Linzer cookies
- Jam-filled, sugar-dusted, and gone by Saturday afternoon.
- Plenty more baking
- German Christmas classics, with lots of gluten-free options on the table.
MEET THE BAKERS
Oh Happy Bake
A German family bakery in Nanaimo, run by Brigitte and her daughter Helga. Stollen, Lebkuchen, Linzer cookies and more, all baked from family recipes.
Their Christmas baking sells out most years. Pre-orders open November 12, and the waitlist hears first.
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Good to know
Cash or card
Both food vendors take cash and card, so you don't need to plan ahead.
Come early or late
Saturday midday is the busiest stretch. Friday evening is the quiet one.
Gluten-free and plant-based
Plenty of gluten-free, both from the kitchen and the bakery, plus plant-based options from the kitchen.