Now Open: Bienvenue, Gontran Cherrier Richmond

Traditional French boulangeries aren’t typically seen as hotbeds of culinary innovation. But an outlandish croissant named Le Crackle served in November at Gontran Cherrier’s new Richmond outpost suggests otherwise.

The first Australian Gontran Cherrier (and the 27th worldwide) opened on Smith Street, Collingwood, in 2016. The second, in Hawthorn, followed just over a year later. The bakery’s celebrity namesake, French chef Gontran Cherrier, thought it fitting to mark the opening of the third Aussie outpost with a limited-edition pork crackling and quince paste croissant.

Dishes like this typify Cherrier’s bold and daring approach to baking, as does its shelf life – the chef is constantly changing up the menu, so the porky croissant didn’t last long (though the team hints it could return again soon). Cherrier’s past hits include squid-ink rolls, kimchi quiches and loaves of bread made with molasses and coriander. And the fourth-generation French baker, who kickstarted his career with stints at Alain Passard’s three-Michelin-starred L'Arpège and Alain Senderens’s Lucas Carton, doesn’t intend on reining in his creative freedom anytime soon.

In fact, Gontran Cherrier Australia general manager Bjoern Noeldner says the newest location will operate “like a testing ground” for new ideas. “We introduced the Le Crackle in November … and we might trial a few other things before rolling [them] out to the other boulangeries if they do well,” he says.

Like its siblings, the Richmond store has a simple, rustic feel and stays true to its Gallic roots. Rough brickwork and concrete floors combine with timber dado panelling to strike a balance between old and new. A service counter set on hefty stone plinths keeps the spotlight fixed on the store’s quality pastries (made with imported Lescure butter and Gontran’s favourite French flour), and a blue, red and gold curtain tips its hat to the Cherrier’s French ancestry.

Meanwhile, an intimate dining area at the back of the eatery encourages the steady stream of office workers trickling in for their daily caffeine fix to consider extending their stay. It comprises cosy banquettes, a handful of wooden tables and chairs, and a mirror illuminated by two spherical lights that gives the space a welcome airiness.

Here, guests tuck into croque monsieurs loaded with ham, bechamel and gruyere; quiche Lorraines; sandwiches made with Cherrier’s signature sourdough; and squid-ink or curried multigrain baguettes. Later, maybe a café au lait and some kouign-amann (a buttery, multi-layered, sugared pastry) ice-cream.

“Our pâtissiers are always in the kitchen, looking for new flavour combinations, and Gontran himself is also a constant source of inspiration, through his travels, or when he’s back home in Montmartre creating in his home kitchen,” says Noelder. “You never know what he’ll come up with next.”

Gontran Cherrier Richmond
85 Swan Street, Richmond
(03) 9428 5039

Hours
Mon to Sun 7.30am–4.30pm

gontrancherrier.com.au

This article first appeared on Broadsheet on February 26, 2019. Menu items may have changed since publication.

This article was updated on April 15, 2019.