In this blog, we chat with Chef Pierrick Boyer, The 2017 Australian Pastry Chef of the year and owner of the amazing Reverie Café.
Tell us about how and when your business came about.
I always wanted to have my own Pastry Shop; I have always loved being creative and productive in the kitchen. In 2019, I opened Reverie Café and through offering many deliveries, combined with promoting the café on Instagram and Facebook, the business grew. Social platforms have really allowed us to showcase our creativity.
What inspired you to start your own bakery?
I had helped several other companies in Australia and California grow and launch, so it seemed only natural to open one up for myself. I love being a pastry chef, that’s probably why I’ve been one for 32 years! It’s such a creative job. I love brainstorming with my team and watching them grow and evolve in the industry.
Where did the name ‘Reverie’ come from?
My business partner came up with the name ‘Reverie’. We brainstormed several different names and asked our friends and family which one they liked best. Everyone chose Reverie.
What is your best-selling product?
The Passion Brownie, The Neapolitan Cheesecake and The Charlotte Tiffany (named after our daughter) are our most popular products. Our pastries and Pain Au Chocolat Hazelnut are also very popular amongst our sweet product range, and our Quiches, Beef Pepper Pie and Croque Monsieur are very popular in the savoury range.
What do you believe makes Reverie Bakery stand out in comparison to other bakeries in the area?
There are a lot of bakeries and pastry shops out there with extremely talented bakers and chefs who put their heart and soul into their craft; so, for me, it has always been important to not only throw everything that I have into Reverie Café, but also for it to reflect my own personality. I always want my products to stand out as being different and creative.
How have you and your business handled the hardships that have come with COVID-19? Have you had to do anything differently?
Covid has been tough for the industry. We closed just as everyone else did at the start and then made the decision to re-open and offer deliveries. So, we literally delivered from Point Cook to Lilydale, the Dandenong’s and further. It really did keep as sane working consistently through the pandemic.
What has been your most rewarding experience in this industry?
I don’t have just one rewarding experience. For me, it’s an accumulation of meeting great friends, traveling the world for charity events and cooking classes; combined with larger events like meeting big corporations in Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Dubai Royalties; growing Vanilla in Tahiti, making desserts for 200 Vogue models in Paris, and hosting a private event for Royalties in Malaysia.
How important is your Vanrooy equipment to the operation of your business?
We have two large Mixers, one Dough Mixer, a Dough Sheeter and a Proofer, so our Vanrooy equipment plays an essential role in our bakery production. The equipment has always been very good and consistent.
What piece of Vanrooy equipment could you not live without?
We couldn’t live without any of them! They are all essential.
Where do you see your business in ten years / what’s planned for the future?
I see very strong growth in the near future for our company, when we can come back to some normality. Every time we have come out of lock down, we have been busy. Our online sales are also steady and ideally, we could continue with our delivery service.
There are three Reverie Cafe’s located in Prahran, Doncaster and Melbourne Central. Whilst the Melbourne Central café is temporarily closed due to Lockdown, Prahran and Doncaster are continuing to run and offer delivery services. If you’re keen to treat yourself, look no further than Reverie Cafe!
Follow Chef Pierrick Boyer and Reverie Cafe on Instagram.
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