Overview
Following on from the success of his Collingwood debut, acclaimed French boulanger Gontran Cherrier has opened a second Melbourne bakery in Hawthorn. Focusing on take-away bites — with a small sit-down space for those eager to eat in-store — it's the latest addition to the fourth-generation baker's growing pastry empire.
For those new to Cherrier's tasty wares, he was sent to the prestigious Ferrandi Culinary School when he was 16, and then went on to study in Paris at the Les Grandis Moulin de Paris bakery and patisserie school. It's no surprise then that, after opening his first boulangerie in Paris in 2010, he has since swiftly expanded into Singapore, Japan, Korea and now two spots in Australia.
Filled with light and featuring a stripped-back look, the new Glenferrie Road store boasts a hefty array of flaky, buttery deliciousness — including his classic offerings, as well as three new savoury danishes of the chorizo, tomato, smoked paprika and fetta; zuccini and fetta; and, egg, ham and gruyere varieties. With everything else staying the same, this means that the flour is still Gontran's favourite Label Rouge, which he sources from the french region of Auvergne, and the croissants are still small, dense and chewy. Maintaining the quality of the traditional product, Cherrier is known to then add unique and unexpected flavours into the mix, so if you want to try something a little out of the norm, the miso rye bread or lemon yuzu tart are good places to start.
In Cherrier's mind, "freshly baked bread, made from French flour is one of life's greatest pleasures." This is something you're probably already well aware. What you mightn't know is that French flour is much more digestible than other alternatives, which means that it won't leave you bloated or uncomfortable.
Recognising Glenferrie Road's community feel, the new boulangerie also hopes to collaborate with local businesses further down the line.
Find Gontran Cherrier at 696 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn. Head to their website for further details.