Village Bakehouse / Bakery — Restaurant in Christchurch

Disclosure... I was a big fan of Thierry and his French bakery for over 15 years. Every birthday for my children was celebrated with Thierry's pastries for breakfast. Croissants for Christmas brunch was our norm.

One of the best parts of living local was easy access to his delicious selection of genuine French pastries, pies,quality breads and baked goods which made the bakery special. There was a warm atmosphere, top quality and a far superior selection to the 100s of other run-of-the- mill bakeries in Christchurch. Not a cheese scone or raspberry slice in sight, given it was a French bakery. Sadly times have changed.

Today was my last attempt to "like" the changes made by the new owner who has transformed the bakery , but not in a good way for me. The bakers may be the same, but they have to bake what the new owner tells them to bake. Now we have cheese scones, raspberry slices and ginger crunch lining up in the new cabinets and the atmosphere feels sadly sterile.... The artisanal French bakery has been replaced, now its just another bakery like...

'DOUGHNUTS!' . . . The irresistible aroma that wafts through the shop as I walk in is enough to make me really hungry. I suddenly become powerless to resist their temptation. The delightful taste of these doughnuts is unparalleled, indulging my taste buds with their heavenly flavours. Each bite is a symphony of sweetness, coupled with a perfectly fluffy and tender texture. The moment these delectable treats touch my lips, I am transported to a world of pure bliss. The dough is flawlessly crafted to a golden brown, creating a soft crunch that yields to a soft, pillowy interior. With every bite, my taste buds dance with joy, savouring the burst of flavours that explode in my mouth. The sweetness is balanced to perfection, never overwhelming, but rather leaving me longing for just one more mouthful. Indeed, these doughnuts are a treat of the highest order, a privilege to be enjoyed. Every bite, a moment of...

Reluctantly I'm giving this bakery a fairly negative review. We came here for years when Thierry ran it and it was a lovely, friendly place with good products. There has been a change of ownership and sadly the pleasant vibe has gone and the products we have tried just aren't good anymore. The croissants are soggy feeling, not flakey at all, the biscuits are soft and like the croissants the texture feels stale, though I am sure they are not. The croissants are now essentially brioche and the biscuits which had crunch followed by melt-in-the-mouth buttery taste are just soft. Pies, pastries, baguette, dinner rolls, half sticks- nothing is quite right. A new ownership deserves a fair chance to get started, so I have left it a while to make a comment but if you see a lot of positive reviews, keep in mind they are for the French bakery that was and what you get now is not the...