Cocorico Patisserie’s Chef Patissier Laurian Veaudour speaks with Luke Owain Boult about gastronomic inspiration and his experience on Bake Off: Creme de la Creme.
How did Cocorico Patisserie get started?
I always wanted to have my own patisserie, and after working in restaurants in Cardiff I decided that it was time to give it a go. I trained in France in a catering college in Tain-l’Hermitage and then moved on to an apprenticeship in a patisserie, for which I was selected as the best apprentice in France. After that, I went and did another year as an apprentice baker.
Is there a common mistake amateurs make when making their own desserts?
I’m not too sure as most of the time people don’t want to bake for me because they feel it’s not going to be good enough, even though I love home baked cakes like a lemon drizzle or a carrot cake. Getting to the Cocorico level of patisserie requires a lot of practice and also a passion and drive to always get better at it.
Have you enjoyed your experience on Bake Off: Creme de la Crème?
The Bake Off experience was really good, even though we had to spend a lot of hours practicing, it pushed us to think more about flavour combinations as well as finishing touches. It was also great fun meeting other pastry chefs who share the same passion. It’s a great show to display all the different skills of our profession and people get to see the pressure of building a chocolate or sugar showpiece.
Where do you get your innovative gastronomic ideas from?
The inspiration of any new cakes come from all the different experiences you get, whether it’s from a childhood memory or a fun time with a friend on holiday, we try to recreate those magical moments in few mouthfuls. It’s so fulfilling to provide a little holiday in a cake.
What plans does Cocorico Patisserie have in future?
We are working on getting patisserie classes starting from September as I love to share the knowledge I’ve acquired over the past 20 years and recreate those good times with people.
If you could only suggest one place to visit in Wales to someone who’d never visited, where would you pick and why?
I love the drive to Hay on Wye as you go through the Beacons, the views are breath-taking with all the hills and the streams running down. All of that finishes in such a lovely village where you can wonder around the little cobbled streets.
Cocorico Patisserie, 35 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff. Info: 029 2032 8177 / www.cocoricopatisserie.co.uk