RAYMOND BLANC’s SEASONS BOULANGERIE
Maison Blanc
Rekindling the dream
With an ambitious idea to provide the best authentic French bread in the land, twenty-seven years ago
a very young Raymond Blanc launched a new venture that has come full circle. Maison Blanc—the
brand—now benefits from a major relaunch this month. BY BRENDAN CONNOLLY
ay back in the 80s bread was mostly the leading provider of the finest French bread
W
translated into two categories: and patisserie in the country, rekindling Maison
brown and white, factory-made, Blanc’s success with the original brand values.”
pre-sliced and plastic-wrapped,
while the patisserie was epitomised mostly by Rebirth of Maison Blanc
the famous doughnut and the renowned ‘penny “The Maison Blanc story is a valuable case
bun’ (with either white or chocolate icing). study of the importance of strong and consistent
“Yes, it’s true, one of the most basic elements branding,” says Raymond, “Today the Oxford
of our daily diet—great bread—was hard to find store has been completely refurbished—back
twenty or more years ago,” says Raymond. “So to those good old values: the natural wood, the
Raymond enjoys some samples from the superlative range
I became obsessed with the idea of being able
offered by Maison Blanc’s Managing Director, Eric Hanson
feeling of warmth, and of course we’re baking
to provide my customers with authentic French all our patisserie and Vienoisserie on site, with
bread, the real thing, in its many wonderful “We could hardly keep up with the demand. freshness and quality as the top priority.”
shapes and rustic styles. It looked a relatively We were taking orders from many of the top Each Maison Blanc now offers breakfast, light
simple task—after all, good bread is created stores and restaurants in London, including none lunches and, of course, the best teas. And this
from flour, water, salt and yeast—how hard could other than the great Albert Roux’s Gavroche, and is just the beginning of the rebirth of the Maison
it be?” Harrods, too. Sometimes, when our driver didn’t Blanc brand. “We also have new stores opening
Great ideas are sometimes the simplest ones! turn up, I’d drive the sixty miles to deliver, in a in Hampstead (8 December), Burford, and
So Raymond and his wife decided to open an battered Vauxhall towing a trailer!” Winchester and all of our existing stores will be
authentic boulangerie—Maison Blanc. “It was Maison Blanc soon gained a wide reputation refurbished by April 2009.” In addition Raymond
an ambitious project for someone who had only for its fine wares and Raymond quickly found and the Maison Blanc team will work together
very recently mastered the art of baking bread, that Maison Blanc needed to expand. “The to refresh and revitalise the entire product range,
but I had this crazy idea that I could conquer the Maison Blanc Oxford store became as much a “including wonderful flaky croissants and some
world with my bread! So we invested heavily and production bakery as a shop. A crucial ingredient new, delightfully sinful patisseries!”
had the bakery and shop fitted out to the highest of our success was finding the right person to “And big news, too,” says Raymond, “is
standards. We also ‘imported’ a French team of run the business—this was Monsieur Restoix, a that we’re launching a range of Maison Blanc
professionals, including a dedicated baker called great craftsman and leader of men.” patisserie in Waitrose this month (November).
Michel, and a chef de patisserie, Pascal—who is But as time passed, Raymond also became These are exciting times for the brand—and
still with Maison Blanc today.” involved in two huge new ventures: the now this time,” Raymond adds with a smile, “we
famous Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons and know exactly how to cope with the success of
The problem of success Brasserie Blanc. So Maison Blanc eventually Maison Blanc.”
The first Maison Blanc opened off St Giles in passed into the hands of a large bakery group You can follow the latest developments of Maison
Oxford in 1981. Raymond recalls with pride his which, it soon became clear to Raymond, didn’t Blanc by visiting www.maisonblanc.co.uk
impressive French bread ovens, 5 x 3m, “with fully understand the heart of the brand, and
gigantic rectangular mouths that could swallow Maison Blanc began a slow decline.
a hundred baguettes at a time and, before long,
many enchanting patisseries! How very different Rekindling the dream
to the small-sale, self-taught level where I had Fast forward to 2007 and Maison Blanc was
started only a short time before. Here was a bought by Kout Food Group (KFG) a group
small part of France in the heart of England! of restaurant investors who, along with Eric
And I loved the idea of seeing an Oxford don Hanson, newly appointed Managing Director,
strolling home with my fresh baguettes tucked began the process of taking Maison Blanc into
under his arm and patisseries for afternoon the future. Key to this, says Eric, was bringing
tea.” But very soon Raymond and his team were Raymond Blanc back on board—“after all,” says As Raymond says:
faced with a problem—they had a huge success Eric, “there’s no magic without the magician, and “Mangez du bon pain,
on their hands! with Raymond with us we’re determined to be
vous vivrez bien!”
www.raymondblanc.com RAYMOND BLANC’s SEASONS 61
RBS7B_REV.kj.indd 61 1/12/08 6:47:08 pm
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