Monsieur’s best pastries
Monsieur Bobe ke Motswana, and he hears more French than he can speak. His wife, however, is a qualified French teacher. This I somehow feel, authenticates his craft even more. His baking journey is a very personal one in that it started with him creating a solution for his beautiful wife. They had just moved to Francistown and couldn’t find bread to eat he says, as everything store bought would make his wife sick because she couldn’t handle the textures.
In April of 2019 he officially opened shop with his target market being two segments; the first being the food industry, the second being individual consumers. With the biggest portion of the indie segment being the international community since the product origins are mostly European. Locally they cater for those who love and enjoy sourdough, pastries, especially millennials and others who’ve adopted the international food culture.
Open Tuesday to Saturday, products are available for purchase at a bakery called Ginger Pink Bakery near the main mall providing delivery for bulk orders as they look to create more partnerships with neighborhood bakeries to serve as pick up points. On weekends, make your way to Alliance Française, Saturday’s from 10am to 1pm and in Phakalane at The Olive Grove which opens from 8am to 12pm.
Monsieur says their pastries are their best sellers, especially the pain au chocolat, which is literally chocolate bread. We highly anticipated this one, because who doesn’t love chocolate. Not only is this masterpiece beautiful to look at, it is absolutely delightful to the palate and quite intriguing how the chocolate is still intact when the bread is served. My husband decided to warm his and was absolutely blown away at how the taste just amalgamated in his mouth. Seeing his response, I decided I would like mine warmed up a little as well and I must say, I haven’t tasted anything like that before. It was meticulous perfection. Warm and fluffy goodness.
I do think more and more people need to taste the Breakfast Bun. This was the first thing the boys and I tasted earlier in the day as we took a break during the Tiny Tots Arts and Craft class that I teach every Friday and did I mention schools are open? Re tle re heme. I took my two boys with me to be my little helpers and for the nostalgia as they both attended pre-school there, gape or some reason bone ba bula after bana ba bangwe. The bun was flakey, soft and filled with cinnamon that’s not overwhelming but just divine. This bun is a certified to give you a good morning.
Once we were home, as soon as I presented the croissant, my husband lit up because that is one of his favourite pastries. He immediately asked the question he always asks even when we are at the store and he wants to buy them; “is it a butter croissant?” This was a plain croissant, but it tasted so buttery, the bread was just so silky and perfect. This is by far one of the best croissants I have tasted.
Artisanal bread is the stuff of dreams for bread lovers. This is a craft of patience love and decadence. The masterful work of Chef Bobe is no exception.
I don’t particularly like olives and I have said this before in a previous review. But my boys absolutely devoured the Olive Bread, which was described as an infusion of flavour, with the sourdough and olive complementing each other and giving Italian farmhouse meal vibes on a vineyard. I enjoyed a slice of the Country Loaf with strawberry jam and cheese.
The monsieur hopes to create a sourdough culture in Botswana. Bread is a product that’s consumed everyday and in large quantities and it’s one of the biggest issues when it comes to health complications. Sourdough is a much better alternative to store bought bread. It’s good for your gut due to its probiotic qualities and one doesn’t have to consume a lot of it to feel satisfied. It’s low GI and probiotic qualities make it a better family product. Food should help heal our bodies and not make us sick. Check them out on both IG and FB @MonsieurBobe. I know I have certainly found my bread plug.