Although Stani Oben enjoyed her former career as a successful physiotherapist, baking was always her true passion. “Since I was a little girl I loved spending weekends in the kitchen,” she says of being trained in the Old World European tradition of baking.
However, it wasn’t until one night in 2010 while watching a television show about the plight of underprivileged children, that the idea for her very own pie shop began to take shape. Stani recalls, “I turned to my husband and said, 'Why can’t we have a business where we can help send money to aid unfortunate children?'”
Stani, along with her husband and co-owner Chris Oben, founded Lime & Moon Pie Company on Bowen Island, offering a rotating assortment of sweet and savoury pies inspired by seasonal ingredients. It wasn't long before local residents embraced her hand-baked 100 per cent organic pies.
Following the success of her first location, Stani decided to open a second outpost on the mainland. Lime & Moon Pie's Yaletown location opened in 2015 and soon became a neighbourhood staple among local pastry fans.
Bowen Island’s beloved Lime & Moon Pie Company has set up shop on the mainland – on Mainland Street in fact. The Yaletown bakeshop offers an extensive menu of 100-percent organic sweet and savoury pies available whole or by the slice. And while Quebec might be a few thousand kilometers away, the French Canadian tourtière here tastes like the real deal. Featuring a flaky, tender pastry crust, this hearty dish is filled with onions, mushrooms, celery, and 100-percent all natural grain-fed beef and pork sourced from local farmers.
Two servings of pie in one meal? Heck yes! This Bowen Island bakery brings its delicious creations to the downtown crowd and the Taste of Yaletown is a great opportunity to try out this popular pie bar. A $25 two-course menu starts with a couple of savoury slices of Tourtière with a side of greens. For dessert, choose a sweet sliver paired with organic vanilla bean ice cream and an espresso or tea. Sweet pie options include lemon-lime meringue, chocolate banana cream and raspberry-rhubarb. There’s even a raw vegan coconut banana cashew cream tart for alternative dessert fans.