Living the Dream at Fauchon

Interview Edited by Sophie Delon

Originally from the Sarthe region of northwest France, Benoît Couvrant, 29, is responsible for the entire range of patisserie activities at Fauchon, a leading luxury brand on the contemporary French gastronomic scene, delighting customers in central Paris for more than 120 years.

What most inspired you to work as a pastry chef at Fauchon?

Pastry-making has a side to it that’s more rigorous than cooking. It closely matches the way I think. I came to Paris to learn more about pastry-making and to practice it. I worked in a small store in the 2nd arrondissement for two years, where I completed my training. Then I naturally thought of Fauchon… it was a boyhood dream come true. I joined Fauchon when I was 21 as a pastry cook; it’s the first step on the professional ladder. I’m passionate about what I do. I worked really hard and put a lot into my work. I gradually moved up the ladder, and I am now proud to be working with Christophe Adam as a pastry chef. He’s taught me a lot. I manage a team of 40 people and I’m nothing without them. Fauchon is an upmarket brand, and I’ve always found that really interesting. What words spring to mind when I think of Fauchon? Contemporary luxury, values, style…

What makes Fauchon special, compared with other upmarket brands?

Fauchon’s added value, particularly since the arrival of Michel Ducros (the chairman of the Fauchon group) and Isabelle Capron (the managing director), is the emphasis it puts on innovation. The environment in which we work always throws up lots of new things and challenges… I love that, and that’s why I worked in Fauchon’s research and development department for four years. We question what we are doing at lot, both in terms of our products and the visual aspect. It’s rare to find pastry chefs who, like us, base their work on an initial sketch, like in haute couture, when they’re developing their creations.

How does Paris inspire your work?

I have many sources of inspiration, including museums, exhibitions, and books on architecture and even decoration. I make sure I take at least one long walk around Paris every month. It feeds my imagination and leaves the door wide open to new ideas for my work. I love going to the Librairie Gourmande in the 2nd arrondissement, near the grands boulevards, because they have really old books and really modern books about pastry-making and cooking.

As a gourmet chef, where are your favourite places to go in Paris? What culinary hotspots would you recommend visitors to the capital to try during their stay?

I live next to Rungis, the biggest fresh produce market in France… I’m lucky because I often have the chance to see good produce close up and I heartily recommend going there. I also really like Le Chardenoux, in the 11th arrondissement: it’s a typically Parisian bistro offering healthy, quality cuisine. What’s remarkable about Paris is the huge variety of food on offer. There’s everything you could want, served in completely different surroundings. There are the small, modest establishments in back streets, which don’t look much from the outside, but serve really good quality cuisine. On the other hand, you can obviously try the grand hotels and internationally renowned restaurants, if you’ve got the money… A lot of restaurants serving foreign cuisine are also good. If I had one recommendation to make to visitors to the capital, I’d say, quite simply, to just give in to your temptations. Paris has a legion of gourmet surprises just waiting to be discovered!

What new ideas do you have in the pipeline?

Just now, we’re putting together our ideas for Christmas: a new range of Christmas logs, éclairs (caramel with orange flower or fleur de sel) and macaroons (white chocolate and white truffle) in a gold, silver and pink casing, among other things. During the holiday period, most people prefer familiar flavours, to be sure of enjoying their time with their family or friends. At Fauchon, we take that into account. Innovating constantly while respecting a certain culinary tradition and know-how, that’s what I’m really passionate about!

fauchon-paris-lips FAUCHON
22-24 place de la Madeleine, Paris 8th
Tel +33 (0)1 70 39 38 00
www.fauchon.com