CONCIERGE
MY TIME
From Madonna’s wedding
cake to baking for the Queen,
Frenchman Eric Lanlard
is one of the most respected
Master Patissiers in the
world. He runs Cake Boy
in Battersea, London, but
will always have a special
place in his heart for Paris,
as he explains…
WORDS ADAM DUXBURY
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CONCIERGE
I get asked this question often and truly I have no idea
what else I would do. I was born to bake!
How did you first get into baking?
I started saying I wanted to be a pastry
chef at five years old! It wasn’t the idea of
eating lots of cake that attracted me to the
profession; it was the glamour and luxury. I
was fascinated by the patisseries; in France
every village has at least one patisserie.
They are boutiques, almost like jewellery
stores. My family would visit the patisserie
every Sunday, it was a ritual.
Why did you decide to relocate to
the UK?
It was pure accident! I had decided after
travelling for 18 months around the world
during my national service in the French
Navy that I wanted to improve my English.
So I applied for a job with the only chefs
in the UK that I knew of – Albert and
Michel Roux. What was supposed to be a
one-year trip ended up being five years as
head pastry chef in the Rouxs’ production
kitchen. I left to start my business in 1995;
this was when the food scene in London
started to explode, and it was the perfect
platform for me to set up a business.
What would you say are the
biggest differences in baking
between London and Paris?
In France and even more in Paris there
is a big sense of respect for the patissier,
it is part of the DNA of a French person
that if you need a cake you will buy it from
a patisserie and not try to make it. It’s
almost de rigueur to take a fine patisserie
if invited to a dinner party instead of a
bottle of wine or chocolate. French people
buy their patisserie like they are buying
an expensive designer handbag or shoes.
Pastry chefs are like superstars. In the UK,
chi-chi patisserie doesn’t really work as
people are still not that adventurous and
are generally price-conscious when it is
time to spend money on a cake. I think
this is because, traditionally, British people
are much more home-bakers. We find
at Cake Boy people prefer homemadelooking cakes or American-style cakes to
the French-style patisserie cakes.
a good thing. In a few years’ time the UK
will have a bunch of amazing pastry chefs
thanks to the popularity of The Great
British Bake Off.
You have starred in several TV
shows about baking – what’s
your favourite thing about being
on TV?
TV was a happy accident. When the first
food channel started there were not that
many pastry chefs around – we are talking
15 years ago or more. I did my first live
show and it turns out that I was quite a
natural in front of the camera. Trust me,
it is not easy to bake, speak and engage
with an audience at the same time! I love
the buzz of television – particularly live
television – and every time I appear on
a screen I pinch myself because I can’t
believe this is real. It’s great and I feel
very lucky that I am doing a job that I
absolutely love to this day and I get to do
all of these exciting bits on the side, too.
How do you feel the success of
The Great British Bake Off has
impacted on baking culture in
the UK?
The show definitely has put baking back
on the map. I truly believe the hunger to
learn to bake was always there, but TV
commissioners and publishers ignored
it for years. Instead, they preferred to
concentrate on home improvement and
traditional cooking shows. It’s great to see
that the nation are such keen bakers and
want to aim high, almost to a professional
standard. In the industry, we have noticed
that more people want to train to become
bakers or pastry chefs. This can only be
You have established a successful
café and cookery school in
Battersea – can you tell us a little
more about it?
As I mentioned earlier, when I decided
to open Cake Boy, I did not want to open
a traditional French patisserie. I wanted
something glamorous, of course, but
friendly – the interior and décor really
reflects this. The offering is a mix of fine
patisserie, muffins, cupcakes, biscuits, etc.
An eclectic mix, something for everyone.
Having the kitchen on site means that
we can create new offerings on a daily
basis. We have regulars that love to come
in and be surprised by what’s new. I had
always dreamed of having a baking school
where I could share my secrets and the
opportunity came up when we designed
the space at Cake Boy. We integrated
the school into the retail space and the
lounge area. It creates a real buzz – and
there are always wafts of delicious smells
coming from our production kitchen and
the school.
You have created cakes for many
celebrities – can you pick out a
particular favourite?
Again, like television, you do pinch
yourself when the phone rings for an
order for an A-list celebrity, but after the
excitement, we deal with it like we will
deal with any of our clients. I have to
say that Elizabeth Hurley was one of my
favourite celebrities – she was charming
and beautiful, even on arrival from a longhaul flight and, most importantly, she
loves cakes!
Could you imagine yourself doing
something else now?
I get asked this question often and truly I
have no idea what else I would do. I was
born to bake!
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Eric on... Paris
How often do you return
to Paris?
I try to go back every year.
What has changed about
the city since you first
left? And what remains a
constant?
Paris has improved a lot
recently. It is definitely cleaner
and definitely more relaxed
than it used to be. For me,
what is always there is the true
Frenchness and you feel that as
soon as you enter the city.
How would you spend a
perfect day in Paris?
What I like the most in Paris
is that you can walk or cycle
almost anywhere. My perfect
day in Paris is a long walk,
a lengthy breakfast, relaxed
lunches and dinners, with
some good shopping or an art
gallery visit in between. I like
to become a bohemian when
in Paris and keep away from
the tourist sites and embrace
the city.
Can you recommend any
places to eat and drink?
A must for lunch or dinner is
Chez l’ami Louis (32, rue du
Vertbois). It’s a proper Parisian
brasserie – it makes you feel
like you are in a movie. For
a good glass of wine, try La
Belle Hortense (31, rue Vieille
du Temple). It’s a traditional
zinc-top bar which has the
most amazing wine list. It
is very quirky but very, very
French – it was originally a
bookshop.
Name three places that
visitors should definitely
see on a trip to Paris.
Marché aux Puces de SaintOuen – an amazing flea market
open on Sundays. It’s full of
simply-incredible stuff and has
a great atmosphere. There’s
also a casual bistro to eat at
inside. I have purchased some
fantastic art and furniture there.
An odd option but a mustvisit (but not at night!) is the
Père Lachaise Cemetery.
All the mausoleums are like
houses or mansions and, of
course, there is a long list of
celebrities who have been
buried there.
Marie Antoinette Hamlet is
a secret miniature village, 10
minutes from the grandeur and
opulence of Versailles Palace.
This is where the Queen of
France spent most of her
time living a regular life away
from all of the politics and the
rules of the Palace. It is a very
charming and relaxing space
– it shows another side of the
‘infamous’ Queen and has its
own farm and vineyard.
What’s the best thing
about Paris for you?
It doesn’t really ever change
and you know what to expect,
but there is always something
new to discover if you look
hard enough.
www.cake-boy.co.uk
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