Le Choux
Cally Squires meets Abigail Scheuer, founder of Le Choux, at the Duke of York Square fine food market
When did you start Le Choux?
I started the business in March last year. My mum is French and I was born in Paris, so as children we were introduced to the world of fine patisseries at a young age. Growing up in London I missed the cakes and pastries that can be found in France, so I made it my mission to train as a pastry chef in Paris and bring my knowledge back to London.
What kind of choux do you make?
We mainly specialise in small round choux (in French called ‘chou à la crème’) in a variety of different flavours. Often I will add in new pastries, such as ‘éclairs or ‘Paris Brest’ which is a choux pastry wheel filled with decadent hazelnut mousseline cream.
What makes your choux pastry special?
All of our choux are baked the Parisian way, with a crumble topping which gives a delicately sweet and crunchy texture. I use only the best ingredients like good quality chocolate, locally-sourced cream and milk and fresh fruit. I never use any gelatine, unnatural colourings or preservatives, meaning our choux are always fresh and vegetarian-friendly.
What are the fillings made from?
All of our fillings are slightly different but are mainly ‘crémeux’ which is a filling made of milk, cream, sugar, eggs and butter – all the good stuff!
Which is your favourite flavour?
My favourite is hazelnut praline but the most popular at the market is salted caramel and Madagascan vanilla.
Where are the choux buns that are sold at the market made?
We bake everything in our commercial kitchen space in West London, and they are made fresh each morning.
How long have you been at the market?
I’ve been trading at Duke of York Square market since last September, and we are there every Saturday. Chelsea is a very friendly area. The people are interested in fine produce and discovering new things. It’s also very child-friendly which is great for us as kids love choux!
The Duke of York Square Fine Food Market , curated by Partridges, is every Saturday at Duke of York Square, King’s Road, aoam-4pm