THE BUILDING OF A BISCUIT EMPIRE
Bridget O’Sullivan took 14 years to turn her favourite French sweet into a business, after taking a leap of faith to open J’aime Les Macarons as a small stall at the Christchurch Farmers’ Market.
Inspired by her overseas travels in Europe, O’Sullivan has catapulted her love affair with French patisserie into boutique cafes and New World stores across New Zealand.
Essentially a luxury biscuit, what makes these treats so romanticised? J’aime Les Macarons’ retail and marketing manager Madi Hasselman says people simply love the taste of luxury.
“They’re just so beautiful, I think that’s what gets you at the first point, and obviously being a French patisserie item they’re not a common occurrence for a lot of Kiwis.”
The perfect macaron has soft outer shells that have a distinctive crack under your touch, and they crumble when broken into, Hasselman says. A sweet, flavoured buttercream or ganache is revealed in the centre.
J’aime Les Macarons’ flagship store in Christchurch’s Merivale Mall has a mouthwatering range of 18 flavours. Its cabinet always features six signature flavours – classic salted butter caramel, vanilla, lemon, pistachio, rose and bitter chocolate. It also has an additional 12 flavours that change seasonally.
This season features warming winter tastes such as blackcurrant, chocolate lava and raspberry liquorice.
Each macaron teases passers-by with its twist, but one particular flavour always catches children’s eyes, Hasselman says. “Our birthday cake macaron – every time a little one walks past, they stare. They just see the sprinkles and the bright pink. It’s just a beautiful food that looks great, but tastes great as well.”
Although the shells are made from egg whites, sugar and almond flour, making them naturally gluten-free, the simplicity of ingredients doesn’t distract from the precision required to nail the perfect macaron.
A fluffy but crisp macaron shell requires the perfect humidity in the kitchen, zero air bubbles, the highest-quality ingredients, patience for rest periods and drying times and, most importantly, a French technique called macaronage, which lets the meringue fall into an almond paste when mixing.
“They are technically challenging, even for the most experienced baker,” O’Sullivan says. “If it is humid or cold our team adjusts the recipe, making it an art form rather than a science.”
Gel colourings are used to create the vibrant, eye-catching colours.
“They require a lot of time and experience, so I think it’s great being able to teach people about that, because you don’t necessarily know from looking at them,” Hasselman says.
Hasselman says their treats are often wrapped in ribbons and shared with a special someone.
“One of the most common things people say to us is they make beautiful gifts,” she says.
J’aime Les Macarons, which translates as “I love macarons”, has hugely transformed since its time as a small stall. Just three weeks ago, the business moved to a new production site, three times the size of its last one.
“We’re really excited, and that’s all thanks to the people who supported us and have followed us from when Bridget started it all,” Hasselman says.