Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / A family-owned bakery in Chilliwack that opened in mid-2024 offering a unique style of delicious, hearty bread has expanded its product offerings. Pictured is Esther Esuk of Arabelle's Bakery. 

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Chilliwack bakery expands product menu

Chilliwack bakery expands product offerings with freshly baked meat pies

Feb 6, 2025 | 10:06 AM

CHILLIWACK — A family-owned bakery in Chilliwack that opened in mid-2024 by offering a unique style of delicious, hearty bread has expanded its product offerings.

Arabelle’s Bakery, operated by Chilliwack residents Esther and Alex Esuk, will now offer freshly baked meat pies at its retail store just off Lickman Road at 43995 Progress Way, unit 106.

The meat pies consist of beef or chicken and feature a light, flaky crust.

“The meat pies are creamy. The recipe is our own,” Esther Esuk told Fraser Valley Today Wednesday (Feb. 5). “It’s a family recipe that we’re proud of. It’s light, not too heavy, not too imposing. It’s very pleasant to taste. Nothing is overwhelming.”

Patrons can also try Italian sausage rolls. The meat pies and sausage rolls are freshly baked each day.

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“The crust is just packed full of flavour,” she said. “The crust is just perfect. The meat is also fresh. Everything is sourced locally; we get our meat at Fraser Valley Meats in Chilliwack. We like to support the community.”

The bakery will continue to sell five variations of its Lagos loaf bread: Classic White Loaf, Lagos Loaf Lite (a reduced-sugar version), 100% Whole Wheat, Bread Rolls (buns), and Coconut Bread. The coconut-flavored bread remains very popular in Chilliwack, Esuk said.

The bakery strives to be eco-responsible by donating its organic waste to Redux Nutrition Ltd., a sustainable Chilliwack company committed to keeping food waste and byproducts away from landfills.

“We have a partnership with Redux,” Esuk said. “They use it to make feed for animals. They’re on Simpson Road here in Chilliwack. They come every Friday and use it to produce feed for animals.”

The bakery operates from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. People who want Arabelle’s Bakery products delivered to their door can also use DoorDash.

When it held a soft opening in June 2024, the Chilliwack bakery was the newest branch of the original Arabelle’s Bakery, which first opened in Winnipeg in October 2014. The bakery was founded by Bryan and Temi Akindipe, the creators of the now-famous “Lagos Loaf Bread,” beloved by customers across Canada.

“My family and I relocated to Canada from Nigeria 13 months ago, bringing with us a deep passion for baking and the ambition to establish our own business,” Esther told Fraser Valley Today in August 2024. “Back in Nigeria, I successfully ran a bakery, so the move to Chilliwack felt like a natural next step for us. We chose Chilliwack as our new home due to its stunning landscapes, affordability, thriving economy, and the warmth of its diverse community. The locals immediately made us feel welcome and at home.”

Through a mutual friend, Esther and Alex learned about Arabelle’s Bakery in Winnipeg and soon met with the owners. Interestingly, they were eager to expand into British Columbia and were already supplying products to stores across the province.

Since opening, the bakery team has grown to four dedicated staff members, two of whom are full-time. Arabelle’s Bakery now supplies its delicious breads to over 12 twelve stores across British Columbia, including Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, Surrey, Burnaby, Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops and Prince George.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media /

“The support from the community, both at our store and at local farmer’s markets, has been overwhelming and deeply encouraging,” Esuk said last year.