Our Story (Follow the Butter)

1990

On a cool October morning, Alison Lane and Andrew Silva opened a pastry shop on Main Street in Burlington. They named it Mirabelles. Like the plum it was named after, the shop was small, unique, and rooted in European tradition. With a team of about six people, they filled the Main Street shop with flaky breakfast pastries, show-stopping cakes, and a menu of soups sandwiches on just-baked bread. In the early years, they introduced Burlington to proper scones, ultra-flaky croissants, fresh-roasted coffee, and the Chocolate-Raspberry Mousse Cake.

The small team was working too hard to realize that they were starting a tradition.

2001

After the first decade, growth! Mirabelles doubled in size to become a full-service breakfast-lunch restaurant. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and hash browns were added to the lineup, along with a team of servers. Alison and Andrew partnered with local growers, coffee roasters, dairies, and other producers to ensure fresh-from-Vermont goodness whenever possible. On the weekends, the line for breakfast extended out the door. Our original customers from the ‘90s were still ordering their birthday cakes from us—and new customers were coming for our latest creation, the Crème Brûlée Cake.

2020

After almost 30 years on Main Street, Andrew and Alison were ready for to grow again, but in a slightly different direction. To accommodate an expanded wholesale operation, they relocated to South Burlington. In this new shop, they still pack the shelves with fresh-baked pastries and cakes. And the added space allows the team to produce bake-at-home croissants that are sold in shops and groceries across the region. The frozen lineup started with butter and chocolate croissants, but has grown to include cinnamon rolls, pie dough, and puff pastry. On the savory side, our Chicken Pot Pie is loved by all.

Even though our shop is no longer in the heart of Burlington, our customers have followed us. The tradition is solid, and we are busier than ever! Some customers still come for the Chocolate-Raspberry Mousse Cake or the crazy-flaky croissants. Many seek the savory hand pies—a more recent addition. But most come just to see what amazing things we’ll do next—starting with butter and flour.