A popular Sydney pastry chef, John Ralley, of Textbook Patisserie, has apologised after a fiery online debate led to him using the c-word to describe a customer. The row erupted after the customer complained that the cream-filled croissants she purchased were sour.
The seasonal truffle croissants often draw popularity for Ralley’s patisserie—something this particular customer wanted to get her hands on, too. After seeing advertising for the croissants, she went in and bought six, some of which she intended to refrigerate. Each croissant cost AU$17, totalling $102. According to the customer, after a night of refrigeration, the custard in the croissants was sour like yoghurt.
The customer then messaged Textbook Patisserie on Instagram, saying “It’s sour. Today it got worse and I refrigerated overnight. Custard should last around 2 days at least isn’t it. The reason I bought 6 in one go is because I purchased it every year and this is the first time I had it sour. I will make sure I spread the words and no one should suffer from expensive sour croissants thanks.” [sic].
In response, Ralley said, “I was going to offer your money back but if you want to be a **** about it **** off.” [sic]
Since the incident, Ralley has apologised and said that he would reimburse the customer. He also defended his produce, saying that he personally makes the special croissants and that the custard wouldn’t have been sour when it was sold.
