When the Milse谩n Fresh coffee kiosk in the 91原创 Memorial Hospital (LMH) lobby closes on Thursday, it will mark the end of 16 years in the business of making candy and other tasty treats for founding owners Rob and Maureen Robinson.
Milse谩n Fresh Caf茅 on the first level of LMH will close the same day.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the last part of it,鈥� Rob said.
The parents of two and grandparents of six closed their Aldergrove storefront and tea house in late December.
鈥淚t was time for us to retire,鈥� Maureen said.
Their children, son Scott and daughter Clare, both grew up working in the family business, but they have gone on to success in other areas, the Robinsons said.
The name Milse谩n comes from the Gaelic word for 鈥淪weet Things鈥� (pronounced 鈥渕eel-shawn鈥�).
Milse谩n has won numerous national and international awards.
It is best known for it鈥檚 Demerara Butter Crunch, which combines soft crunch toffee with almonds or hazelnuts coated in Belgian chocolate.
It鈥檚 a treat found in places like Rita McNeil鈥檚 Teahouse in Nova Scotia, the Empress in Victoria, B.C. Ferries, and even at the White House in Washington, D.C. 鈥� during the Clinton administration.
Milse谩n began as a homebased business in south Aldergrove on Maureen鈥檚 family farm, Emerald Acres, in 1992.
Maureen was making homemade butter crunch for some catering clients at the time, and it proved to be a huge hit.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an old family recipe that I sort of tweaked,鈥� Maureen explained. 鈥淭he clients kept asking for the candy.鈥�
They started small.
鈥淲e ran a commercial kitchen out of the basement for 11 years,鈥� Maureen said.
鈥淭he garage was our shipping department.鈥�
When the Robinsons needed more space, they bought the former 91原创 Township firehall at 2900 272nd St., next to the old hockey arena.
鈥淲e spent a whole year on renovations,鈥� Rob said, including seismic upgrades.
The upstairs became their home and downstairs was turned into a 4,000-sq.-ft. candy factory in the back.
There was no pole for fireman to slide from the top floor to the bottom, by the way.
鈥淚t was a volunteer firehall,鈥� Ron said.
鈥淚f we had a dollar for every time someone asked us that question 鈥︹��
In 2003, they opened the cafe in the front.
Their work on the former firehall won the Robinsons a heritage conservation award from the 91原创 Heritage Society.
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When the Robinsons heard that the contract for the hospital was coming up, they bid and won it in 2014.
鈥淲e were up against all the big guys [like] Starbucks and Tim Hortons,鈥� Maureen recalled.
After the small family-run business got the contract, a hospital director called them the 鈥淒avids who took down Goliath.鈥�
Since the 鈥渃losed鈥� signs went up at the Aldergove storefront on Dec. 22, some customers have still come by and a few have even knocked on the locked doors.
鈥淚 just tell them that we鈥檙e retiring,鈥� Rob said.
Customers seem happy to hear that Milse谩n isn鈥檛 quite going out of business, he said.
They will still be making their candies, but 鈥渙nly around Christmas time鈥� Maureen said.
