Aux Merveilleux de Fred

I think this is my first blog about a shop! Yes, a shop but not any old shop but a wonderful French Patisserie by the name of Aux Merveilleux de Fred, which has sister shops worldwide; its first store being in Lille, France.

Frédéric Vaucamps is a talented pastry chef from the North of France. He developed his own recipe for a local Flanders cake and his resulting creation thus blossomed into the traditional patisseries of Aux Merveilleux de Fred. So successful are his pastries and cakes that the demand meant he could open shops across the globe. You will find an Aux Merveilleux de Fred in many cities and towns such as Paris, Tokyo, London and New York. It goes without saying that there are more than a few in his native country of France.

What makes these Patisseries stand out is first and foremost the quality of the cakes. Usually the chefs are on view from the windows as they make their artistic offerings of cramiques, waffles and cakes. These elegant shops stand out because of the fittings, which are opulent to say the least. There is lots of gilding and most of them include the motif of an oversized chandelier. The style of the shops mirrors the style of French society during the French Directoire regime when the aristocratic Incroyables and Merveilleuses, as they were known at the time, would gather in salons to discuss politics and economics and drink tea and eat tiny meringues.

This is a ‘must’ visit shop/patisserie for those who wish to serve only the finest cakes at their dinner party or those who just have a sweet tooth and don’t mind paying a little extra for a sumptuous treat. I can personally vouch for the following: Chocolate Cramique; Le Merveilleux; Le Sans-Culotte and L’Incroyable!!