Maison Blanc

I was recently in Hampstead visiting my parents and my mum absolutely insisted that we go out for coffee. This is not like my mum. My mother is a woman who takes intense pride in the coffee she brews at home, in the light and fluffy cakes she bakes in her weird aga type oven and in the toilet facilities available within her own four walls. In her view none of these elements can be surpassed by going out for coffee and as yet not a single establishment in the WHOLE of London has been able to prove her wrong. So as you can imagine, this decision to go for coffee outside of the safe haven of finest roast, carefully prepared coffee and melt in the mouth moist lemon drizzle cake was something of a shock. It also left me intensely curious as to our destination. Where was this place that had so entranced my mother that she had broken what was virtually a life long rule? Maison Blanc that’s where.

If you ever go to Maison Blanc in Hampstead at the weekend you will probably have to queue around the block for your latte and strawberry tart such is the popularity of the cake shop (and of Hampstead on a Sunday) but I went during the week with my mum which was far more pleasant. As I strongly suspected, half the allure for my parental had nothing to do with the freshly brewed coffee and to die for éclair but because she had got it into her head that she was going to run into Raymond Blanc. Hallucinations aside, the patisserie Mason Blanc has been taking great strides in recent years, opening up new branches all over the country from Hampstead to Winchester. The rejuvenation of the brand was part of a relaunch in December 2008 of the Maison Blanc brand taking it back to the values and concept of it’s namesake Raymond Blanc: “refurbished with the traditional warmth of wood and within, the bread and patisserie epitomising the best of France.” Among the cafe’s many treats you can choose from 15 varieties of the best French bread including the iconic baguette “tradition”, croissants and patisseries as well as a selection of breakfasts and light lunches (www.maisonblanc.co.uk ).