La Crémerie/French Market – under the cover with Ed Beukes
After six years at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Suzanne Himely opens a sweet French Market in the Gardens Shopping Centre where one can buy all the best French delicacies from Brie to Bourguignonne…
Perhaps it was the variety of cheeses that caught my eye, or the blue, white and red wired statue of the Eiffel Tower in the shop that stole my gaze…
However it may be, when I started talking to Suzanne Himely on her latest French endeavour, La Crémerie/The French Market, she quickly mesmerized me with her story…
There I was interviewing her in her little French country cottage kitchen completely forgetting that I was actually standing in the middle of the Gardens Centre in Cape Town.
Suzanne (who was wearing a French beret at the time that I interviewed her) has built up a great reputation as a passionate French Food trader for the last couple of years at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock and even though La Crémerie/The French Market has only been open for a couple of weeks, her growing clientele streams in with Bonjour’s and leaves in waves of Merci’s and Au Revoir’s.
“It’s a unique French Food Shop. Everything is imported and even all my speciality cheeses are sourced and brought from different regions in France,” Suzanne says proudly.
“Everything in the shop can be found in a traditional French Kitchen,” she says pointing to the variety of mustards and sauces on the shelves. From Hazelnut Oil to Chestnut Crème, The French Market has it all, and Suzanne’s French clients and French cuisine lovers have snuffled it out.
As soon as Suzanne gets in fresh truffles or delicious mushrooms from Burgundy, her clients are informed and the fresh produce all the way from France is booked in grams by the hundreds.
Being brought up in Nigeria, Singapore, Germany and Belgium, Suzanne’s first visit to Paris was when she was 18 years old. With both Swiss and French heritage, Suzanne still often escapes to her stone cottage in France but is always drawn back to her other African roots as her love for sharing her beloved France and French cooking compels her to do what she does best: Exploring French Cuisine in the city called Cape Town.
Suzanne and I continue talking about wine and cheese pairing and soon she tells me about her favourite cheese, namely the Camambert de Normandie which comes from the North Coast of France where you’ll find… “deep pastures where the cows can graze and produce creamy milk… nothing compares to it!” Suzanne sings joyfully.
When asking Suzanne what the secret behind French cooking is, she answers without hesitation…
“Being brought up at your grandmother’s knee and appreciating making food with special ingredients. It’s not about sitting down for one big meal, but enjoying several dishes with unique flavours and tastes around a big table with the family. It is family based enjoyment…”
While ShowMe Cape Town definitely takes a seat at this French table, we give cheer to The French Market and shout Bon Apetite! And surely hope you do too!
Where to go:
– Next to the Woolworths entrance in the Gardens Centre, Gardens
When to go:
– Open EVERY day of the year!
– Monday to Friday 9h00 – 19h00
– Saturday 09h00 – 17h00
– Sunday 09h00 – 14h00
What to expect:
– French Products
– Speciality Cheeses
– Dry and Fresh Goods
– Great Recipes