With strong passions for gastronomy and rugby, Copain's head baker, Paul Guillaume, went on a journey across the world, from Paris and the Alps to Hong Kong, ending up in Auckland at Copain in Ponsonby and in Northcote rugby club.
He began his apprenticeship at fifteen at traditional Parisian bakeries and later worked at three-star restaurants like the Ritz in Paris, Meurice, and Meilleur St Martin de Belville.
"Nothing is more rewarding than a kid's delighted face when they eat a pain au chocolat," said Guillaume.
"The most satisfying reward for the baker is having a consistent product that looks beautiful and is handmade."
After all these years in the industry, Guillaume's favourite remains the classic French icon, the baguette, the first thing he ever baked.
As with any artisanal process, everything homemade and handmade is unique. The trend of traditional artisan baking, in which sourdough plays a considerable role, has seen a return.
"Healthy, natural products and tastes are exactly what we are doing at Copain, producing in artisanal quantity, not industrial, as you lose the passion and love when it is machine-made only."
Copain's baguette-making process makes them unique in New Zealand as they use sourdough traditionally.
"For me, baking is life and creativity. Working with a living product, sourdough is almost like your pet. You need to take care of it and feed it. It is a beautiful process made of patience and love."
However, Copain's most popular item is the croissant, especially on the weekends. The flan, a custard tart, has also been a real success.
"We use a homemade puff pastry, and Tour Crème patisserie is to die for."
For Easter, Copain is offering traditional hot cross buns, a French twist, and a chocolate briochè, overtaking the classics at the moment.
When he's not working, Guillaume trains for the rugby season. He also enjoys trying new restaurants out of curiosity for new ideas and flavours, as fine dining and street food are always full of surprises and inspiration.
Guillaume advises those wanting to get into patisserie and baking to be rigorous, passionate, and consistent. He wants to learn more about cooking using meat and dreams of owning a food truck where meat and bread complement each other.
