French-inspired pastries sell-out
French-inspired pastries are a new crowd favourite at the Christchurch Farmers’ Market. Entremets, tartlets and towering slices of rich gateaux from The Great Pastry Shop sell out at the Saturday market.
Crafting the refined pastries is mother and daughter team Rhiannon and Elsie McCulloch. Both are qualified pastry chefs with backgrounds in design and photography.
The pair launched at the market in January after a spontaneous decision late last year to combine their skills and start the business.
While travelling in Europe, Elsie was captivated by the beautiful patisserie bakeries in France and returned home to study a diploma in patisserie in 2016. That same year Rhiannon was looking for a career change and coincidentally undertook a patisserie qualification.
Both get a kick out of using challenging techniques to make sweet treats that look like works of art. ‘‘We’re not your average bakery or cake shop, we’re interested in refined products. We care about stunning aesthetic as well as fantastic flavour.
‘‘We’re constantly trying new techniques and like our items to have a layer of intrigue, like an unexpected filling to create more interest and flavour,’’ Rhiannon says.
Preparing their patisserie range for the Saturday market is no small feat. They start making the ganache, mousse and jam components on Wednesdays and put the finishing touches on just in time for the weekend crowds.
Despite working all week together in the kitchen Elise says they have a great relationship. ‘‘We spend most of the day taking the mickey out of each other.’’
Encouraged by their early popularity they’ve signed a lease on a space at The Welder, a new boutique hospitality and retail development at 22 Welles St, scheduled for completion in mid 2019.
In the meantime they’ll continue their stall at the market. There cakes are also sold at Uncommon Cafe and Moon Under Water and they make occasion cakes to order.