It might seem that setting up an English bakery in Paris would be mad, a certain failure. Surely a city stuffed with patisseries full of perfect little tartes au citron is hardly in need of Eccles cakes? Not so, as it turns out, and as Rose Carrarini (who is English) and her husband Jean-Charles (who is French) have proved. They opened Rose Bakery in Paris in 2002, which, in addition to selling a dazzling selection of salads and organic store-cupboard goodies, is also stacked full of chocolate brownies, sponges, carrot cakes and crumbles and teas in enamel tins. From the beginning they've had queues out of the door.
Rose and Jean-Charles have been married for 30 years and have two grown-up children. Originally based in the UK, they initially founded a successful knitwear business. In the 1990s they set up Villandry, which started off selling quiches, soups and sandwiches from a tiny shop in London's Marylebone High Street. They had no formal training in food, and learnt the hard way. However, it was during this baptism of fire that Rose discovered her skills as a pastry chef and Jean-Charles turned out to be a master quiche-maker. As the business expanded and moved to new premises, the couple decided to leave and open in Paris where Rose does the baking and Jean-Charles runs the rest of the show.
Rose was terrified when they arrived. 'Everyone thought, she's from the UK. What can they possibly have to tell us about food? Their bakery will only last three months. But actually they've become deeply complacent here. Historically, the French have an amazing culinary reputation, but they're not making an effort any longer. If you look at the places where you go for lunch, it's still all about steak frites and nothing else.' Pottering about the next day, I find Rose is quite right: a €14 goats-cheese salad arrives at my bistro table, limp lettuce concealing a mountain of flaccid chips.
Consequently, there is a market for the Rose Bakery's high-quality version of the kind of deli food you can now find in most major UK towns. Fortunately for Rose's and Jean-Charles's waistlines there's no time for gluttony, as this inconspicuous little bakery and simple restaurant (near the Gare du Nord with a great view of Sacre Coeur and seating no more than 30 people) has become a Mecca to people wanting fresh, handmade, and (whisper it) distinctly British food. Jean-Charles is at the bakery from 7am until 7pm six days a week and, in summer, the few metal tables on the street are the place to be seen eating his smoked salmon and dill, or broccoli, onion and leek quiches, even though the Rue des Martyrs in the 9th arrondissement is full of cafés, patisseries, boulangeries, fishmongers and butchers. Walking to their nearby apartment, Rose says, 'Even though this is known as a foodie street, you can't guarantee the food is fresh, or where it's come from.'
Their apartment has a quintessentially Parisian feeling. It's on the top floor of an old block, and was built on to the existing roof - in the kitchen you can see the old struts that held the original roof up. Along the front runs Rose's 'garden', a narrow balcony packed with herbs, where her cat Mia Millie Boo prowls about proprietorially.
Over quantities of afternoon tea and cakes that Rose has baked that morning, she expands on her opinions of the state of Parisian food today, suggesting 'that the downward trend in food is probably happening all over France'. In between mouthfuls of cake au citron with red berries, Jean-Charles adds, 'We get phone calls at 7pm saying, what have you got left? We used to get calls saying, "Please tell me there's carrot salad!" but now people understand we only make so much every day. When it's gone, it's gone.'
Rose recently advertised in the French press for a chef for the first time. 'Before, I'd always trained up young people, but of course they move to other things. I got over a hundred replies from professional chefs, and not one of them could understand what we are doing. I got just one reply from a girl who was interested in the organic movement, and knew about growing vegetables, and so she's starting in a few weeks.' It's no wonder that the rest of the staff are from all over the world - from Ethiopia, Japan, America, England, Colombia, and Africa.
It seems like a big family, as various cooks wander up to the apartment for a date slice or Eccles cake after their shifts. At the bakery earlier, they'd been skittering around with tubs of purple stripy tomates anciennes or artichokes mixed with millet and chickpeas, and discussing the merits of sunflower seeds over pumpkin in the carrot salad.
Getting staff wasn't their only problem: it also took ages to source good fresh produce - although they now get their gorgeous fruits and vegetables from Bio-Alizé and 'the best bread in Paris' from Jean-Luc Poujauran. Rose explains, 'I'm disappointed in the Paris markets. I've come from London, with wonderful places like Borough Market, and lovely farmers' markets where you get fantastic local produce, and then I arrived here, and there's hardly any local, seasonal produce in the markets. A lot of the produce comes from Holland, Spain or Italy.' This may explain the fact that their (admittedly British) cheeses come from London's Neal's Yard Dairy.
They are open six days a week for lunch, and brunch at weekends. As Jean-Charles explains, 'At nine-thirty we start cooking until midday, when we open. We don't have any storage fridges, so everything has to be eaten that day. We normally sell everything, which often means that we sell out by 2.30.'
They've got a big fan base in Paris, despite the initial scepticism - not only do they always sell out but they also recently catered for the Comme des Garçons shows at Paris Fashion Week. Rose's brother is married to Rei Kawabuko, who presides over the company.
The book came about by chance. Jean-Charles explains: 'One day, this man came in for breakfast. He said, "I work for Phaidon Press and we'd like to do a book with you." Two days later I was in London in his office. We talked for a couple of hours, and then he said, "OK, let's do the book." As I was leaving, I said, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what is your position in the company?" "I own it," he said.'
Their next project might be another Rose Bakery in Paris, or even Tokyo. Rose has found a bit of land in Normandy where she wants to plant fruit trees and build an eco-house. For now, though, it's a chance for them to enjoy a rare afternoon off. And another slice of cake.
Rose's carrot cake
Serves 8
unsalted butter, for greasing
4 eggs
225g caster sugar
300ml sunflower oil
9 medium carrots, finely grated
300g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 rounded tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 tsp salt
150g finely chopped walnuts
for the icing
125g unsalted butter, softened
250g cream cheese
1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract
50-75g icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Butter a 23cm cake tin and line the base with parchment. Beat the eggs and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Pour in the oil and beat for a few more minutes. Fold in the carrots then the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Fold in the walnuts. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin before taking it out. To make the icing, beat the butter with the cream cheese and add the vanilla extract and icing sugar. Ice when the cake is cool.
Where to find foodie Brits in Paris
John Brunton
Willi's Wine Bar
13 rue des Petits Champs, 75001; 00 33 1 42 61 05 09
Mark Williamson, doyenne of British restaurateurs in Paris, has been going strong for 26 years. His wine bar/restaurant is as popular as ever.
Le Timbre
3 rue Sainte-Beuve, 75006; 00 33 1 45 49 10 40
This tiny restaurant, hence the name - 'the postage stamp' - is a big Left Bank hit. Chef/owner Chris Wright creates French cuisine with a British twist - boudin served with homemade mango chutney.
Juvéniles
47 rue Richelieu, 75001; 00 33 1 42 97 46 49
Tim Johnston is one of the capital's best-known wine experts. This long-standing restaurant and cave à vins is popular with expats and Parisians.
La Tour D'Argent
15 quai Tournelle, 75005; 00 33 1 43 54 23 31
The legendary Tour d'Argent doesn't just have the best views of any restaurant in Paris, but it also boasts the finest wine cellar - 500,000 bottles worth over £10 million - and the head sommelier is from Britain. David Ridgeway has 15 wine waiters under him, and his annual wine-purchasing budget is an impressive £500,000.
Alcazar
62 rue Mazarine; 00 33 1 53 10 19 99
Sir Terence Conran opened Alcazar nine years ago, and has successfully revived a Saint-Germain legend.
The Hemingway Bar
Ritz Hotel, 15 place Vendôme, 75001; 00 33 1 43 16 30 30
Running the bar at the Hemingway is Englishman Colin Field - not just the best barman in Paris, but one of the most well-known by cocktail-lovers around the world.
Macéo
15 rue des Petits Champs, 75001; 00 33 1 42 97 53 85
Hip gourmet restaurant, homage to musician Macéo Parker, has modern French cuisine and a large selection of wines.
Somo
168 rue Montmartre, 75002; 00 33 1 40 13 08 80
Opened four years ago. The cuisine is French-based but with English and Thai influences.
· Breakfast, Lunch and Tea is published by Phaidon, £19.95. To order a copy for £18.95 with free UK p&p call 0870 836 0885. Rose Bakery, 46 rue des Martyrs, Paris; 00 33 1 42 82 12 80. Rebecca Seal stayed at the three-star Hotel Magellan, from €102 a night, b&b (www.hotelclub.com, 01753 288 952)
