About Us
Meet the Founders
After many years working in the mental health field, in 2004 Thomasina started baking at home and selling in the Vancouver Farmers Markets with her friend Deanne Dufour. With almost immediate success, her husband joined her in the venture, baking some items and doing a lot of "lifting." Unfortunately, due to health concerns, her friend Deanne could not continue.
Our History
In 2009 Thomasina and Jerome moved to Princeton, BC and opened as a bakery/tearoom in a rented facility in the Town Square. In late 2011, they purchased, renovated, and set up shop in their present location.
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Farmers Market Beginnings
Thomasina started baking at home and selling in Vancouver farmers markets with her friend Deanne Dufour.
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Move to Princeton
Thomasina and Jerome moved to Princeton, BC and opened as a bakery/tearoom in a rented facility in the Town Square. Thomasina's has become a destination cafe for tourists across Canada and around the world. Thomasina and Jerome bring much of their international experience to their business including many years in the Faroe Islands, The Netherlands, Spain, and SE Asia.
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Present Location
In late 2011, they purchased, renovated, and set up shop in their present location. The 279 Bridge Street building first opened on September 7, 1912 as a silent movie theatre. It stayed open for two years until the "talkies" technology arrived. The cinema then moved to 114 Vermillion in the Town Square, which happens to have been our first rented location in Princeton.
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Still Part of Daily Life
It is not just a cozy living room with great handmade food; it is also about knitting the local and international community together. While Thomasina's strives to be prompt and efficient, there is always time for a meaningful and playful connection with customers who want it. Thomasina's serves breakfast, lunch, a variety of bread and baked goods, and awesome coffees. On Thursday and Friday evenings they serve Strange Fellows craft beer and wine along with artisan pizzas in a friendly, engaging atmosphere with live music on many occasions. Even though they are both "mostly" retired, Thomasina and Jerome are often in the shop, having handed off the running of the shop to their competent staff. If you would like to meet up with them, just text ahead of time so they can be sure to be there when you stop by.
Our present shoppe is mostly known over the years as a smoke shop and a feed store. Legend has it that there was an underground tunnel connecting our shoppe to the Similkameen Hotel, located in what is now the parking lot at Save-On-Foods. RCMP raids at the hotel to address poker gambling resulted in players coming through the tunnel into our shoppe so they could finish their games. Recent foundation repairs due to the flood of 2021 uncovered some horseshoes, perhaps adding some good luck to those who did "know when to fold them and know when to run."