Say bonjour to L’Epicerie: where France and Whakatāne meet
Every time they drove home to Auckland after another blissful weekend in the Eastern Bay, Chloé and Guilhem thought to themselves, "we need to find a way to stay for good."
In 2011, the couple finally found their way. After a move back home to France and a lengthy business visa application, Chloé and Guilhem settled in sunny Whakatāne. Ready to start a new life - and a new business.
The idea for L’Epicerie first began as an authentic French food truck. “We bought this beautiful old Citroën H in France, and put it in a shipping container over to New Zealand,” says Chloé. “It can’t go any faster than 60km per hour, so driving it from Tauranga down to Whakatāne caused a bit of a traffic jam!”
While the couple waited almost four months for their beloved truck to arrive, they kept busy selling dried goods at the Ōhope Market. "People started asking us if we had a place in town," says Guilhem. "We found the little shop on The Strand, and it all evolved from there." Today, that little shop on The Strand has grown into four businesses - The Larder café on Commerce Street, The Oak Cellar delicatessen, another L'Epicerie location in Ōpōtiki, and the original L’Epicerie café. All four bringing their own authentic slice of France to the local community.
"I come from a family that cooks constantly. But it was when we moved to New Zealand, and started sharing our culture with other people, that we really discovered a passion for French food." - Guilhem
Both Chloé and Guilhem were born into food-loving families, but it was here in New Zealand that they were truly bitten by the culinary bug. During their time in Auckland, Chloé worked for a French deli and a French food importer, while Guilhem managed three delicatessens. But the self-taught foodies did most of their learning by experience. “We never went to culinary school or anything like that, we just followed our mothers’ and grandmothers’ footsteps,” says Chloé. “We were also inspired by the can-do attitude of New Zealanders. If you’re talented, passionate, and love what you do, the food on the plate reflects that.”
From artisan bread to their signature almond croissants, the L’Epicerie team makes just about everything themselves. Chloé and Guilhem even roast their own organic and fair-trade coffee that customers can buy by the kilo. Behind the scenes, the couple is working towards the long-term goal to make the cafés completely self-sufficient. “Now that we have kids, we want to do what we can to help the next generation,” says Guilhem. “We grow our own produce, we’re looking into electric delivery vehicles, and we make everything we can ourselves on-site.”
"Every time we go away, we still have this feeling of being so happy to come back to Whakatāne. We’re always happy to be home." - Chloé
For Chloé and Guilhem, community has always been the heart of L’Epicerie. "We think of it as a meeting point, a social place. A place to be with friends, and an authentic experience," says Chloé. "It's a piece of our culture that we love to share with locals."
The couple’s latest project, The Oak Cellar - home of delicatessen-style meats, cheeses, and speciality wines - is another way for them to bring that community focus to life. "We’re bringing artisan treasures from around New Zealand to Whakatāne, but also showcasing what our local producers can do,” says Guilhem. It’s one small way to say thank you to the community for their continued support over the years. "Whakatāne really is a little gem," says Chloé. "We feel so lucky to be part of this community."