Pascal Tepper opens in Abu Dhabi

Pascal Tepper French Bakery is now open for business in the IPIC tower on Muroor Road in Abu Dhabi.

Instead of the rustic, wooden tables and natural, muted colours you’d expect in a typical French bakery, Pascal Tepper is a decidedly modern venue, with bright purple and white decor. It is spacious, chic and trendy, but that all quickly becomes an afterthought when you get a whiff of the aromas coming out of the kitchen.

The bakery specialises in freshly baked breads made with the same French ingredients that master baker Pascal Tepper uses in his bakery in Northern France. Tepper, who comes to the UAE one week a month to oversee his Dubai and now Abu Dhabi locations, says: “Everything that is sold here has been tested and thought through carefully. The quality and taste is assured.”

Tepper, who comes from a family of five generations of bakers, was on hand for the grand opening in Abu Dhabi last Monday. He has baked his entire life and it hasn’t gone unnoticed in his home country. He’s a recipient of the coveted Meilleur Ouvrier de France award in the baking category. The competition is held every four years in France to award the country’s finest craftsmen across many different fields.

Unlike typical French bakeries where customers come in, pick up a baguette or two and leave, the bakery Tepper has ­created in the UAE caters to what ­customers here want – a place to relax, eat and enjoy. So not only does the bakery offer up a range of French breads and pastries, it also serves a full ­breakfast, lunch and dinner menu.

In addition to the food, one of the bakery’s notable offerings is the tea selection with eight ­different organic blends. If you’re not in the mood for hot tea, try one of the signature Tea Jays – organic iced teas made with a Samova tea maker, the only one we’ve seen in the ­region.

“My goal is to be the Louis Vuitton of bakeries. But a luxury bakery at an affordable price. To be the Louis Vuitton of bakeries, we have to listen very carefully to the guests,” says Tepper.

Tepper and his team have plans to expand the franchise across the region, including three more outlets in Abu ­Dhabi and one in Ras Al Khaimah. They also plan to open at more locations in Dubai.

• Ground level, IPIC tower, near the corner of Muroor and Mohammed Bin Khalifa (15th) street; call 02 444 4762 or visit www.facebook.com/pascaltepperfrenchbakery

sjohnson@thenational.ae