Our Story
RACHEL
Back in 2021, Rachel was still working as an early childhood education teacher. She loved the job, but there was one thing she loved even more: showing up with homebaked teats for her coworkers.
EMMA
Emma's story starts in a small fishing town in Southeast Ireland. From the time she was a kid, she knew she wanted to be a chef. By age 15. She was already working in professional kitchen.
EMMA
Emma's story starts in a small fishing town in Southeast Ireland. From the time she was a kid, she knew she wanted to be a chef. By age 15, she was already working in professional kitchens.
THE START OF WREN CAFE
After graduation, the pair took a celebratory trip to Toronto.
Somewhere along the way, Rachel turned to Emma with a crazy idea: what if they opened a French café bistro in Yaletown, Vancouver?
Emma promptly said yes, flew home to Ireland, and started packing. After months of visa paperwork, recipe testing, renovations, and health inspections, Wren Café opened its doors in June 2024.
The mission was simple: serve carefully prepared, seasonal food, and bring everything they learned at Le Cordon Bleu home to Vancouver.
Our mission lives in every dish, meal, course we serve — since day one, to your visit today 💙
DINE WITH US
TWO PATHS,
ONE CLASSROOM
Rachel was craving a career change, but wasn't ready to leave Canada behind.
Emma wanted to level up her culinary skills somewhere brand new.
Different reasons, same instinct: it was time for something different. That instinct led them both to the same place, culinary institute Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, where two strangers became the kind of friends who start businesses together.
