A Crêpe Filled Bastille Day to Remember with Bonne Maman at the French Residence

Today I had the honour of representing the University of West London with four amazing colleagues at the French Embassy in the United Kingdom for the celebration of Bastille Day.

Thank you Nathan Vasanthan for this opportunity. And of course Michael Coaker, our university culinary ambassador, it was no surprise to see you there because you really are everywhere, always supporting and representing us with pride.

A big thank you to Chef Gilles Quillot, Chef Jamie, Chef Suzana and the entire team for your guidance throughout the event. Chef Gilles Quillot is a leader I truly respect. A funny moment came when he showed me how to make crêpes with the Andros UK Limited Bonne Maman strawberry spread. The jam flipped onto my apron. He laughed and apologised, tried again, and it landed on my apron a second time. Everyone around us laughed, especially since he had just joked in the briefing that we should not get the aprons dirty because they were expensive. Mine clearly had a sweet start.

Jeremy and I ran the crêpe station in the embassy garden with our sponsor Bonne Maman. Thank you Charlotte Parke and Ruxanda Virlan for being so kind and supportive throughout the day. You provided the delicious fillings, looked after us with water and food, and kept the energy going to serve all the crêpe lovers who kept coming with smiles and appetite.

The most popular filling of the day was definitely the hazelnut chocolate spread, which many guests referred to as Nutella. The question I found myself asking over and over was, “Crunchy or smooth?” It became the most asked question of the night, and it was clear that chocolate was everyone’s favourite. I am pretty sure we went through more than ten jars of it from Bonne Maman.

We began serving at 5 PM and continued until 9.30 PM. The queue never seemed to end. I had never made a crêpe before today and I probably made more than one hundred. Jeremy and I were so glad to see happy faces in the queue and we truly appreciated everyone’s patience as we carefully made each crêpe.

One highlight I am especially proud of was having the chance to wear the French Ambassador apron. It was a meaningful moment that made me feel honoured to contribute to such a special celebration.

I truly enjoyed the service and was happy to support the team. This experience was both professionally valuable and personally memorable.

Merci to everyone who made this day so special.

Joyeux 14 Juillet et Bonne Fête Nationale à tous 🇫🇷