International pastry trio Nasser Saleh, Demarco Reed, and Anne Battaglia are launching Obsidian Bake House at 1758 West Broadway in Vancouver during the first week of December, with grand ambitions to take the brand global and put the local pastry scene on the world map.
The newly formed baking team brings together diverse international experience spanning Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Switzerland, Qatar, Ukraine, Brazil, and Texas. Saleh, the 30-year-old senior member of the trio, previously worked in his father’s chocolate factory in Riyadh, attended culinary school in Dubai, studied pastry in Switzerland, and worked across Qatar and Ukraine before moving to Ottawa, where he met MasterChef Canada Season 7 winner Christopher Siu. Saleh later served as executive chef at Siu’s Daan Go Vancouver shop, where he met Reed; the pair won most creative croissant at the Vancouver Croissant Crawl last year.
What to Know About Obsidian Bake House
- Opening Timeline: The bakehouse opens its doors in the first week of December at 1758 West Broadway, featuring both permanent selections and a dedicated Christmas line.
- Design Concept: The store features a visually open kitchen behind a glass facade, designed to resemble an art studio or museum to showcase the baking process.
- Global Ambitions: Founders Nasser Saleh, Demarco Reed, and Anne Battaglia plan to expand the Vancouver-born brand to international cities including Los Angeles and Riyadh.
The Global Journey Behind Obsidian Bake House
The culinary background of the Obsidian team stretches across multiple continents and kitchens. Saleh left Ukraine due to the war and relocated to Ottawa, eventually moving to the West Coast to lead the kitchen at Daan Go’s Vancouver location until a few months ago. Reed originally hails from Texas, while Battaglia moved to Vancouver from Brazil at age 11, with both receiving their education locally. “We want to emphasize that Obsidian is the brainchild of three people who come from diverse backgrounds,” Saleh noted.
“For me, Obsidian is a collective of all the years of experience and our backgrounds,” Saleh said. The founders chose to omit the word “bakery” from their storefront name to signal a departure from conventional operations. The kitchen space is engineered with a glass facade, allowing passersby on West Broadway to observe the production line using organic flour and New Zealand butter.
Chefs Create Edible Ornaments for Christmas
The menu relies on customized molds and unexpected shapes for pastries and croissants, building on the acclaim the chefs earned during last year’s Vancouver Croissant Crawl. “That’s the kind of stuff that you can expect to see in our store,” Saleh explained. “We’re pushing the edges.”
Preparation is already underway for the upcoming holiday season. “We are actually working on our Christmas line right now,” Saleh stated, adding that the items are designed to bridge the gap between confectionery and ornamentation. “I think people will be blown away. Yes, you can eat it, but you can also hang it as part of the Christmas decor.” Sourdough breads have also been tested and shipped out, generating early online reviews.
Elevating Vancouver’s Pastry Profile Globally
The co-founders intend to use their Vancouver launchpad as the foundation for an international footprint, targeting culinary hubs like Los Angeles and Riyadh. “We want to take the brand global and bring Vancouver culture to the rest of the world,” Saleh said. “We think that Vancouver deserves that representation.”
While Vancouver has established itself as a recognized dining destination with Michelin stars, Saleh contends that the local pastry sector has historically missed out on equivalent global attention. By launching Obsidian alongside existing local fixtures like Thierry and Thomas Haas, the trio hopes to spark broader recognition for the city’s pastry community. “I want pastry chefs to come to Vancouver to try our shop and Thierry and Thomas Haas and others,” Saleh said.
| Founder | Background / Origin | Previous Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Nasser Saleh | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Executive Chef at Daan Go Vancouver, pastry education in Switzerland, culinary arts in Dubai |
| Demarco Reed | Texas (Educated in Vancouver) | Worked under Saleh at Daan Go Vancouver, Croissant Crawl award winner |
| Anne Battaglia | Brazil (Relocated to Vancouver at age 11) | Local education and co-founder of Obsidian Bake House |
