Born in Normandy, in France, Frederick has always enjoyed making pastry. He discovered the art of patisserie thanks to his paternal grandmother Louise (affectionately nicknamed “Louisette”) and his mother Cécile. Both of them are also from Normandy but are different from each other; one with her Normandy tart with apple brandy, and the other with her pancakes and galette pastries.
While keeping his passion for pastry, Frederick’s professional career went in a different direction: into telecommunications.
From homemade pastries to Mademoiselle Louise
While working abroad, in Africa and the Middle East, the desire to change careers made Frederick reflect on rediscovering the art of living.
His taste for patisserie still tantalized him.
“I thought about it for two years before coming to a decision. One day, Sivkheng and I were walking past a famous patisserie on the rue Vaugirard in Paris to give ourselves another chance to eat their famed macaroons, and that was when it clicked.”
They would start their own pastry business. However, that doesn’t happen without some training. Frederick obtained the CAP qualification (certificate of professional aptitude) for pastry makers at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Pâtisserie at Yssingeaux in France, and subsequently another CAP qualification for bakers at the Ecole de Boulangerie Pâtisserie in Paris.
Why Texas ?
“We’ve been coming to Texas regularly for over 15 years to visit family and friends. We very much like Houston and its surrounding area.”
Houston’s dynamic qualities, the lifestyle and the climate finally convinced them.