On the 12th January, at Classic Fine Foods we welcomed our guests to taste the classic French pastry, Galette Des Rois made by the talented Executive Pastry Chef Thibault Hauchard at Claridge’s along with our very own Head of Culinary Development MCA Denis Drame. Hauchard is a very talented chef who has also worked at the Dorchester in London, Hotel Le Meurice, Le Royal Monceau Raffles and the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. It was a pleasure to try his pastries!
Using Isigny Ste Mere butter sheets, the chefs created some delicious galettes with beautiful layers of flaky, buttery puff pastry and a sweet, almond cream filling. It was a real treat to taste!
The Galette Des Rois (or king cake) is a French cake traditionally shared at Epiphany, on 6 January. It celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem. Composed of layers of puff pastry, with a small charm, the ‘fève’, hidden inside, it is filled with rich and indulgent frangipane filling.
As the tradition goes, the person who discovers the charm in their slice is crowned the king or queen and gets to wear the golden paper crown that comes with cake. It is a wonderful way to mark the end of the Christmas period and the start of the new year.
Thank you so much to everyone who came to enjoy the celebration and, to Claridge’s for hosting us. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!
The specialist Isigny pastry butter sheets have been developed by chefs for chefs. Made with PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) butter from Normandy, the Isigny butter sheets bring the unique taste and smell of fresh Isigny butter to your pastries.
The layers of alternating butter and dough gives classic French pastries their signature honeycomb interior structure, flaky outer layer and delicious buttery taste.
Meet Our Partner: Isigny Ste Mere
As the most awarded dairy company in France its no surprise that Isigny Sainte-Mère's are world famous for their PDO butter and cream. Combining traditional know-how and the ideal pastures of Normandy they have won over 300 medals.
The Isigny region in Normandy was Europe's largest wetlands, when the sea retreated it left behind a clay soil which green grass grows on in abundance. For centuries, the region's dairy farmers have produced exceptionally fine milk, earning a well-established reputation for quality.
Thanks to the salty seawater of the Channel, combined with fresh water from the Cotenin peninsula and the Bessin mashes, the region's climate is mild and damp. The Isigny cows graze in luscious, nutrient-rich pastures for more than half a year, which gives the milk its distinctive characteristics; freshness and creaminess.
Isigny Sainte-Mère's has earned itself many certifications including Organic, Label Rouge and most notably, the PDO ((Protected Designation of Origin) label. This is the official mark of quality which recognises the unique characteristics of the Isigny PDO butter and cream based on its outstanding terroir.
Check out our video of the event.
Want to find out more about Isigny Ste Mere? Check out their brand page here.
Check out our blog post on the best places in London for Afternoon Tea for more information about Claridge's here.
