Michele and the Maison Bertaux in Soho
by Sarina Chandaria
I have warm memories of visiting Maison Bertaux many years ago but speaking to Michele, really brought back this little slice of Paris nestled in the heart of Soho for me.
Maison Bertaux is located on Greek Street and is the oldest French patisserie in London, having survived the Spanish Flu Pandemic, two World Wars and now Covid-19, as well as the day-to-day vagaries of running a business in London. It has also thrived, through many varied and wonderful eras.
This patisserie is truly a stalwart London institution, which has been here for 150 years, since 1871 when Mr Bertaux came over with around 30,000 other refugees fleeing the Commune de Paris, an insurrection against the French government in the wake of France’s defeat in the Franco-German War. In the early twentieth century, Maison Bertaux was taken over by the Vignaud family.
The interior of the patisserie reflects its storied history, Maison Bertaux is filled with glass and mirrors to reflect the oil lamps that would have lit the store in the 19th century and the walls are studded with photographs and portraits from throughout the years. History has left its mark on Maison Bertaux from the grand, seen in the French-style 19th century fireplace to the intimate, in the words “It’s a girl — Daisy” painted on one of the mirrors.
Michele began her journey at Maison Bertaux in the 1970s, first as a Saturday girl but soon became more involved as she fell in love with the business. She thought it was beautiful, and easy to be passionate about with such lovely products and great customers. The ways in which Michele and Maison Bertaux are intertwined together are clear: from the photographs of her up on the walls, to her commitment to keeping the patisserie going strong despite the almost insurmountable challenges of this past year, to the memories of her sister eating strawberry tarts on the counter whilst pregnant. For Michele, Maison Bertaux is just that — a maison, a home, with customers she’s known so long and so well that they have become more like friends.
Michele’s love of Soho is almost palpable. In particular, she recalls the hey-day day of queer culture in Soho. Michele describes it as a time “full of optimism” right before the shadow of the AIDs crisis began to loom. She remembers the filmmaker Derek Jarman who would come in regularly and sit in a certain place downstairs. When speaking with Michele, I was struck by the fondness with which she recounted all the connections she had made within the comforting walls of Maison Bertaux. She said her time had been filled with “different kinds of moments and people” and that it was “all the little things that add up” over time. Michele emphasised to me the importance of a varied clientele in a café that helps create this atmosphere of togetherness and inclusivity that is so important to her and Maison Bertaux.
Michele has actively cultivated that sense of ease and calm in Maison Bertaux, taking the time to make conversation and sit with customers. As she explains, “it’s like that Barbara Streisand song, people who need people are the luckiest people in the world — and I always need other people”. I thought of my own moments of calm and connection in cafes, mentioning how lovely and important it was to be reminded of the kindness of strangers. Michele lit up at this, and we shared a moment of connection over our mutual affection for Tennessee Williams, who turned out to be Michele’s favourite author.
Maison Bertaux continues to offer their glorious selection of classically French patisseries from almond croissants, to Mont Blancs, to Paris-Brest with hazelnut French cream, always made on the premises. I asked Michele what her personal favourite was, and while she expressed a particular fondness for coffee-crème patissiere choux, she noted that it was more about having that private moment. That moment when something has just come out of the oven and you can enjoy it warm, with good coffee and your own company.
The current coronavirus pandemic has seriously affected Maison Bertaux, and while they have employed the always-resilient attitude that has kept them going for so long, Maison Bertaux also reached out for help from the community and were supported by their customers. Michele described the supportive response from the public via their GoFundMe as extraordinary and overwhelming: as of today 844 donors have pledged over £43k! Seeing that level of support from everyone showed how much the shop means to so many people. While, as Michele noted, there was always a sense of generosity and kindness prior to the pandemic, the way in which people rallied for Maison Bertaux made her realise how much people love places- That places hold value; they mean something to people.
Maison Bertaux is more than a patisserie and café — it has been a refuge, a moment of peace and a place for connection. It is an essential piece of London’s history and is woven into the very fabric of the Greek Street community. At Bimble, we are committed to helping independent business, the life and soul of every neighbourhood, not only survive but thrive through creating a community that celebrates them.
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