Two Crows Craft Foods purchases Victoria Pie Company
The mother-son duo will spread its wings by adding pies to its mix of jams and mustards
Ryan Hook
September 12, 2023
📸: Two Crows Craft Foods at the Esquimalt Farmer's Market / Facebook
One of the longest running pie shops in the Victoria Public Market has sold—but luckily, everyone’s favourite pies will still be available.
Two Crows Craft Foods—which provides specialized and wholesale mustards, compote, spreads, and jam—has purchased the popular Victoria Pie Company, with the intent to merge the two businesses into one, owner Marie Takahashi told Tasting Victoria. Two Crows was started by Takahashi and her son in 2021.
“The goal [for Two Crows] has always been to own a kitchen,” she said. “That was always the long-term plan,” and according to Takahashi, the sale was serendipitous.
One morning, she was reading through Facebook and saw a post from someone looking to sell their business in hopes of starting a food truck or trading their business for a food truck. It’s not uncommon to see these types of posts on the Victoria Hospitality Group Facebook page—that’s how the Wandering Mollusk found a home.
So, Takahashi reached out.
It turns out the seller was Robyn Larocque, the owner of Victoria Pie Company and co-owner of Parachute Ice Cream. The pair’s goals aligned, and they have been talking ever since. “We have been working on [the sale] since June,” Takashi said.
The storefront will open next Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the same space as Victoria Pie Co. at the Victoria Public Market. Takahashi is currently looking for employees.
“We were lucky to get Victoria, one of the previous employees from Victoria Pie, to stay on,” she said. “And we’re just looking to get a few more people to keep the pie side of things going without delay.”
It’s a step in the right direction for Two Crows Craft Foods, which has been working out of a shared kitchen at Beauregard Commons in Brentwood Bay for the past two years. Other tenants in the kitchen space included Sidney Scones, which has also expanded to its own storefront, and Bicycle Pizza—a takeout and frozen pizza joint.
Takahashi said the move to Victoria Public Market is great for streamlining production and being stable enough to get more creative in the kitchen.
“It will expand my ability to produce consistently and have some stability there,” she said. “It’s really about having a storefront so there's consistency for customers.”
The intention for Two Crows is to be a craft market of sorts—a place where other Vancouver Island producers, and even employees, can bring their unique dishes, products, jams, or spreads to the table under the Two Crows banner.
“If people are willing [to help me] pursue my dreams, then I want to do everything I can for them to support them,” she said.
Takahashi said it’s not uncommon for Two Crows to follow up on unique customer requests too—like maple bacon mustard. When it comes to implementing Victoria Pie Company’s recipes, Takahashi said there will be some slight adjustments.
“We're changing some of the flavors of the fruit pies in particular,” she said. “I come from a spice-heavy background, so we're using a lot more ginger, cinnamon, and all spice—it's my favorite. Just subtle flavor changes to certain recipes.”
But Takahashi is respecting what made Victoria Pie Co. so good, so she said she’s “not touching” fan favourites like the chicken pot pie or tourtière pie. “The fans will not allow it.”
But there will be room for more pie flavours, like a cottage pie or ratatouille pie, and other subtle changes, such as bringing in local lamb for the shepherd’s pie.
Once the business becomes more stable, Takahashi said she’s excited to bring in “guest pies” from chefs around Victoria. Profits from those sales will be donated to organizations such as Rainbow Kitchen in Esquimalt.
“Being able to highlight friends in the culinary community to raise exposure and then also being able to donate to local charities is amazing,” she said.
For Takahashi and Two Crows, it’s all about “spreading the love,” and the newest storefront is just another utensil in the cupboard.
Two Crows Craft Foods
Where: Victoria Public Market
When: Sunday, September 17
Tasting Victoria has reached out to Victoria Pie Co. for comment and will update this article when available.