I went over to Yarraville to chat to Ollie on a sunny Saturday morning. I arrived near the end of his 9.00 10.30am bakery pop-up and the queue did not get any smaller until just after 10.30am. I had seen a video of Ollie talking about his patisserie, Motte, at the Bastille Day French festival in July. He spoke with such passion about following in his fathers and grandfather's baker footsteps and it filled me with such joy that I knew absolutely wanted to talk to him. We pretty much just launched right in and talked about baking, community, mental health, racism and his upcoming trip back to Reunion to see his family for the first time in five years. Ollie was very generous in what he shared with me and I went away with a full heart. I also came away with a cinnamon bun which I happily ate in the park down the road and relished every last spicy, sugary crumb. You can find Ollie and his baked goods at markets around the city, but you'll have to wait a month until he is back from his holiday. But, attendre fait desirer, as they say in French.
Bonjour Ollie. Are you ok? That was a huge queue. Was it like that all morning?
It has been non-stop.
You obviously have a cult following.
It is getting there; it is so good. I started this two years ago and I never expected this. I was working in finance, accounting, in the city. I started taking anti-depressants and I knew that something wasn't right and things had to change and it was work. It was affecting my personal life and my partner, everything. Anti-depressants cannot be a long-term solution. It wasn't the life I was dreaming of when I was a kid. I made the change, started and it has picked up and it's amazing.
I was able to stop wholesale yesterday. I was doing a lot of wholesale. I was up every morning at 3am and it was taking its toll. I went back to that point and I knew I wasnt enjoying it and I needed to fix it. It didn't feel creative and I need to be creative. I am tired of putting out the same thing every morning, not getting the feedback and not getting the enjoyment from seeing people eat it.
Is wholesale going to shops?
Cafes. I had about eight cafes. But even thought it was eight, it wasnt that much money either.
What will you do now? Go to markets?
I go to lots of markets. I did the Spotswood market. Thats where I met the people who organised Bastille Day. I want to do more markets and I want to find a space where I can teach people and be part of this community. I love the west. I love being part of this little bubble. People are so supportive. You saw this morning with the people coming through, you saw them. Whatever I do, they are there behind me. It is good. It makes it all worth it.
It's so good. Well done. You have a family history of pastry?
Bakers. My grandfather was a baker. He came from China and went to Reunion Island. He was a restaurateur, a baker, hairdresser, whatever he could do to survive. Dad fell into it and became a baker. He went to Paris to study in '75 or '76. He took over my grandfathers bakery and it took off. He had the passion. But I think he was too generous; too nice to everyone. It took a toll on his business, he really looked after his staff which was great, but I never saw dad. It was early mornings and late nights. I swore I would never do that. But I started doing this two years ago and I fell in love with it.
Did you learn here or from your dad?
I'm self-taught. You know in France you do your CAP? My brother is doing that. I have never done that. I have just learned from trial and error. I try things and if they don't work, I move on.
That's hard with pastry. I feel as though pastry is a lot more
It's a science.
Yes, a science.
Well, dad did help me a bit because during lockdown, I got the closest to my dad I have been. We face timed and talked. This mess brought me close to my family again. Even though I have been away for 18 years, it was meant to happen. And from this I have met so many interesting people. It just falls into place.
I think food brings people together, doesn't it?
As well.
I'm not sure its the same with finance. I wouldn't really know what to say about that but I can talk about food for hours.
Exactly. It is something that you share and there is love in it. That's what I want to be part of.
The markets must give you that connection to people.
And exposure. Definitely. I started with the slow food market in Spotswood. From there, they invited me to West Footscray and then the RFM, Regional Farmers' Market in Altona Meadows and Williamstown. Every market is different. The socio-economic base is different. I also do the Abbotsford market. I love the Abbotsford market. When they had the Patricia Piccinini hot air balloons coming over the top it was just amazing. I also do Carlton; thats a bit smaller. I'm going away and when I get back Ill think about which markets I want to go to.
I don’t want depression or anger to go into my food. I want love to go in. I am happy and people can taste it. I am not here to be the richest or the most famous, I am happy to be part of this.
How many different products do you do?
Too many. At first I was doing four or five different types of dough. Now I just stick to two really good ones, my croissant dough which is really versatile and I can do different things with it or the cinnamon bun brioche dough.
They look amazing. But I reckon it would be really hard to perfect both those doughs.
The croissant one is really hard. I watched YouTube and read some books on the art of lamination. I dont use thermometers which is really bad. I do it by feel. I think you learn how to deal with issues. I love it. I have messed up a lot, that's the fun of it. I bought this old machine to laminate, I didnt want a new one. This one has been somewhere, it's had a life.
It is beautiful.
I know.
So you were doing things at home and experimenting. At what point did you think you were ready for a commercial kitchen?
When I started in 2020 I was doing a few meals for my mother-in-law and dropping meals off to people. After about a month I stopped doing that and started doing pastry and then I git the council to come over and check the house and they saw the oven and double sink and it was all perfect so I started doing it from there. There is a lady who runs the @mamaknowswest Instagram and she has tons of followers, all the mums. So then all the mums wanted things during lockdown and I had 20 orders a day and I was driving around as well. I was baking, delivering, producing again all day. I was doing sour dough and it takes one hour for a loaf and one day I had orders for 15 breads so I was up at midnight and I thought, something is not right. My partner was working at his desk in the kitchen as well and I was making too much noise. When lockdown ended the sales online dropped because people wanted to go out, so I started approaching cafes and they were approaching me too. There was a point, December 2020, when I knew it wasn't feasible to be working from home with a two tray oven. I found this space. There was already an offer on it. I offered six months rent and told them I really needed it and they agreed and gave me this space. Everything was already here; oven, everything. The next day I was up and running. The cafes have been really supportive. I cant thank them enough. We haven't ended on bad terms. I can go back whenever. They understand. They know it's a one man show and I am going to burn out.
Sometimes it is good to limit access. You're going to have a little break and everyone will really want it, attendre fait desirer, or something.
Supply and demand. And when I offer it, I want to offer it at its best. When they come here, it is fresh out the oven, this is how I want them to eat it, not five hours later in a caf.
I love that you are really aware of your own wellbeing, and I am a big believer that whoever is making the food, whatever they are feeling goes into the food.
That's right. I don't want depression or anger to go into my food. I want love to go in. I am happy and people can taste it. I am not here to be the richest or the most famous, I am happy to be part of this. I would love to have the space to give classes and teach people how to do this. It is coming around. I have searched myself so much. You need to come and get your hands dirty. You might like it, you might not, but at least you tried and you will gain some life skills and that is what is important. Then you can go back to high school or go to uni, you can do whatever you want. That is one thing that held me back when I was younger, not trying and thinking I didn't like various things, but how did I know without trying?
Yes. And it is so satisfying producing something that people are eating, and they love it. So many jobs you don't get to see that.
When I was an accountant no one said, great spreadsheet.
No one is instagramming their spreadsheets, are they? What does your dad think?
He is really happy. He is hoping my brother and I will go back. We'll see.
Will you get a chance to bake for him over there?
I hope so. They have been really supportive. I would love them to come here. Even if they cant speak English, they could come and help and be part of something. My dad has an old bakery he is renovating. He is spending all his money on that when he had the opportunity to sell. He wants to still prove something to people. But he could come here and create new memories with me. I don't want him to be trying to do something for us, I want him to be here and spend years here and do things. Thats what I want our last memories to be. I think me leaving home has given me a different perspective on life.
How big is Reunion?
Small. About one million people, but it is a tiny island; smaller than Tasmania. It is so beautiful, but there are no opportunities, it is so hard. They depend on Europe so much. My brother and I are the only ones who left. All my cousins are still there.
Where does your brother live?
Toulouse. Its really good there. But I want him to go to Lyon so I can go and visit.
The gastronomic centre!
He is happy and unhappy. He has good friends, but he still experiences racism.
Look, I love France, but things have really changed there. I lived there in the nineties in the south of France and things have changed a lot from what I see on the news and so on. There does seem to be a lot of racism.
Xenophobia. It is crazy. I see it here as well. Not as much in Melbourne, but it did happen once in Richmond. I was with a Filipino friend and someone said ching chung and I could not believe it. When I was in WA, I got it more than here.
I am embarrassed for people.
It is ignorance. All the refugees and the people migrating here. They are the ones doing the jobs Australians dont want to do. Hopefully things change. We can only try and keep pushing.
I think if you are doing things like you are; creating community around you and I heard you say that you are giving your unsold pastries to charity, I think you have to keep look towards the light. Only light chases dark. Thank you. It was so nice to meet you. Bon voyage.
15/131 Hyde St, Yarraville