Pastry chef to Elton John creates sweet treats for Kiwis | CPT PPP Coverage

Cryptopolytech (CPT) Public Press Pass (PPP)
News of the Day COVERAGE

200000048 – World Newser
•| #People |•| #World |•| #Online |•| #Media |•| #Outlet |

View more Headlines & Breaking News here, as covered by cryptopolytech.com

Julie Han knows first hand what food Elton John serves at his Christmas parties, but she’s quickly learning how Kiwis also take their treats.

Table Bloom Patisserie’s pastry chef, Julie Han, has brought her five-star skills from the UK and Europe to the garden city.

Her finely crafted morsels are good enough for the taste buds of French designers, movie stars, knighted musicians – and now Kiwis, including the gluten-free ones.

While clocking up 15 years of experience in London, training under top chefs from high-end hotels, Han served up her delicacies to some big names.

READ MORE:
* Opening chocolate shop life-long dream for Pam
* See the incredible German chocolate cake Kim received on her 42nd birthday
* Neat places: Indulge your sweet tooth

An exclusive catering company she worked for catered events including Dior and Channel shows, and one of the latest Star Wars movies, she said.

“I had to make chocolate R2D2 robots and made lots of them in that shape. That was fun.”

But some of the more memorable events were the private Christmas parties hosted by Elton John at his “huge” house, Han said.

“That was something special.”

She had to stay tight-lipped on details, but could share that the singer liked “chocolate cake with fresh raspberries, fine dining, five courses with canapes”.

Half a world away from London’s glitz and glamour, she had found Kiwis “appreciated good quality pastries” and “they like their portions big”.

You can never have too much of a good thing, right?

Table Bloom’s production kitchen on Tuam St is where all the magic happens, but it mainly caters to wholesale, pre-orders and markets, including the weekly Christchurch Farmers’ Market and Ohoka Market.

At the markets, there’s a mouthwatering array of sweet and savoury treats, including scones, cookies, tarts, petit gâteau, lemon confit cake, and her popular earl grey tea cake.

And gluten-free diets need not miss out – there’s also a gluten-free carrot cake and cookies and cream choux, made with almond cream, apricot compote and Governors Bay honey.

“It’s nice to bring something a little bit different to people”, Han said.

“Not many have seen these sorts of refined desserts, or tasted them.”

And her creations are being met with a positive response.

”A lot are wowed when they taste the dessert, so that’s a good sign.”

Table Bloom director Simon Suffolk met Han while cheffing together in five-star hotels in London before he moved to Christchurch five years ago – a place that reminded him of “home in Dorset”.

The pair created Table Bloom in December to offer a personal, bespoke service using as much local and seasonal ingredients as possible, he said.

But there are a few elements that are imported from France that give the sweets just the right touch.