Aaron Hendrikx started BackRoads Hops Farm in 2017 when he planted a one acre trial yard split between Cascade and Centennial hops. Happy with the way the plants grew in the first year, Aaron expanded the trellis system by almost 9 acres in 2018 and added 5 acres of hops plants including Triple Pearl, Chinook, Magnum and Ultra.
In 2017 Aaron also opened a second business, BackRoads Brews & Shoes. This London based retail store specializes in high end running apparel and has a full bar serving eight Ontario Craft Beers.
The BackRoads Brands
BackRoads is a diverse family business including two unique yet connected businesses:
BackRoads Brews + Shoes in London Ontario is a specialty running shop selling running shoes and gear with an in-store taproom serving Ontario Craft Beer, coffee and more with a focus on community.
BackRoads Hops Farm is a ten acre hops farm located just south of Parkhill Ontario and is a fourth generation family farm with the knowledge and experience gained from three previous generations of cash crop farmers.
Having these two businesses gives us the unique ability to not only provide high-quality hops to Ontario’s craft breweries, but to also put those same brewers’ beers on tap in the BackRoads taproom.
Aaron Hendrikx - Owner
Aaron Hendrikx is the founder and owner of BackRoads Hops Farm and BackRoads Brews + Shoes. Aaron grew up running thousands of kilometers on country back roads, so it’s easy to see how he developed his passion for agriculture and the inspiration behind the name “BackRoads”.
Ben Williams - Product Manager
Ben Williams grew up just a few minutes from the Hendrikx farm and has had a passion for the outdoors since childhood. Ben was hired in 2018 to assist with the initial expansion of the BackRoads hops yard and has been part of the team ever since. After receiving a degree in marketing from the University of Guelph Ben is now working for BackRoads full-time with the aspiration of making the process of purchasing hops as easy and convenient as possible for BackRoads’ customers.
