Friends and food people reminisce about Hilton Dinner.
by Mary Bailey
Hilton Dinner passed away November 14 with his wife Michelle by his side. He was a big part of the food community in Edmonton. I first met Hilton when he was with the Bagel Bin. Hilton knew bread, he knew flour and he knew business. Bon Ton was the subject of many articles in The Tomato, and of course I tried to sell him ads, with varying levels of success. When I was co-chair of the Edmonton Food Council I asked Hilton to consider joining the council (he did). I thought it could benefit from his straightforward, sensible and compassionate way of looking at things. Family and community came first with Hilton. You always knew where you stood, he was direct and kind. I will miss him and his point of view.
Gerry Semler, managing partner of the Bon Ton Bakery worked with Hilton for 15 years. “I met Hilton about 25 years ago. I was working at Debaji’s at the time; we bought pastries from the Bagel Bin.
“We were acquaintances first, then friends, then colleagues. What was special about our relationship? He was a great mentor, a lot of wisdom shared and taught. At first it was more of a teaching piece, then it evolved into more of a partnership piece. We had such different skills sets, but we worked together closely, Bon Ton is a wonderful place to do that.
“When I started 15 years ago, we had 16 employees, now we have 28. We were able to do that growth together. He was most proud of not only the success of the bakery but the family atmosphere. He said we were a bakery of the world—10-13 countries are represented here—people from every continent coming together to build a successful bakery. That was his biggest joy, those relationships.
“It hasn’t been easy. It happened so fast, that was the hardest part. Hilton spent a lot of time this summer walking with Michelle and riding his bike all over town. Then the aches and pains started.
“There is this weird sense of emotions, going into the busiest time of the year. A staff member shared a video from a year ago, of Hilton and our head pastry chef doing laughing yoga one day during the Christmas season. Everybody was very jovial after that.
“He loved putting people out of their comfort zone. He was looking to get out of the normal pattern in an effort to connect. A customer would come in and ask ‘how are you?’ And Hilton would say, ‘gorgeous.’ Then a conversation would happen.
“What drove me crazy initially was how many times he would call out across the bakery, ‘Gerald!’ in that baritone of his. He refused to call me Gerry. I kept a tally one day of how many times he would do that—it was 30-40 times. It drove me bonkers at first, but I became endeared to it. Nobody calls my name like that anymore.
“Hilton didn’t come into the bakery much after March with the shutdowns, but we were in constant contact. Instead of calling my name he would phone. I would have the picture of Hilton on my phone, 10-15 times per day. Last week Michelle called me from that phone. It was surreal seeing his face come up.
“We have an amazing team to carry out his legacy. Eugene (Eugene Edelman founder of the Bon Ton) did a wonderful job and Hilton built on the foundation. Our job now is to continue to build on that.”
“While I admired Bon Ton Bakery and their delicious fare, I had never met Hilton and Michelle until spring 2015,” said Paul Shufelt, Workshop Eatery. “Hilton asked me to help him create a sandwich counter to highlight their wonderful breads. The timing was interesting, as I had just branched out on my own, and was building Workshop Eatery. I was impressed with his attention to every detail of his business. Not only did the sandwiches have to taste delicious, but they had to showcase the bread nicely, and the smells created in the preparation of the sandwiches could never take away from the aroma of fresh baked bread. He understood his customers in a way few business people ever do, and he made a point of ensuring Bon Ton delivered on their every expectation.
“In the weeks that followed, whenever I delivered sandwich supplies or picked up bread, a quick hello often turned into a lengthy chat. He was one to give me his time, to listen to my dilemma, and always seemed to have a piece of wisdom to share for a young entrepreneur with a great deal to learn. He reminded me that if I wasn’t living in my business then I likely wasn’t working hard enough, although I was never quite sure if he was teasing. Both he and Michelle were staunch supporters. I could always count on him to share his honest feedback, whether great or otherwise, but it was delivered with the utmost care and desire to see me do well. I will miss his advice, I will miss our banter and I will miss his friendship. Rest in peace Hilton.”
“Hilton was more than an entrepreneur or a baker,” says Jennifer Fisk, Freestone Communications. “I remember him wanting to do something for a Bon Ton anniversary. He wanted to find a cause or charity that no one was paying attention to—the overlooked, off the radar things that could benefit in a big way with some time and dollars. He wasn’t noisy about it and he always made an impact, none of his time or his work was wasted. At the boardroom table he made his presence known, he was direct, he didn’t want to talk, he wanted to do. Who’s being ignored? That was where he wanted to spend his time.”
“I worked more with Gerry but whenever Hilton was there, he was always up for a little to and fro,” says Lexa Shropshire, Shropshire Sales. “It took some time to figure out if he was yanking your chain. I totally loved how he went from a shaved head for years and then he grew it out and he had a magnificent head of hair. He was like that, always surprising.”
“My good friend Hilton was a feisty, courageous and generous man,” says Isaiah Staav, friend. “He reminded me of Don Quixote, an idealistic hero defending the helpless and destroying the wicked. Hilton believed deeply in charity and justice, setting an example to many as he supported many organizations in Edmonton. Hilton was most passionate about his family, his friends and the people he worked with. He was an extremely devoted and dedicated person. I will miss him tremendously.”
“All I can say is he left a big hole in my heart,” Pnina Staav, owner Le Gnome and family friend. “He was a very special friend. He cared about people. When you talked to him, he listened to you. Very rare these days. He loved good food. Michelle and Hilton came to San Miguel last February and we had an amazing month. They say Israelis are like a prickly pear, thorny on the outside warm and soft on the inside. He was like that. Under the loudness so much softness. Always saw the bigger picture.
“Even though I live in Toronto now and there are lots of good bakeries, it’s not Bon Ton. I still miss their cheese danish. The memories are good and sweet. He was one of a kind. He was just good.”