La Chouquette

Since opening at the far reaches of Didsbury Village in 2020, French boulangerie and pâtisserie La Chouquette has picked up awards, extended into the premises next door, and regularly had queues snaking down the street.

Nearby Bisous-Bisous never had quite the same effect yet it was there (and in France and at celebrated chocolatier Slattery’s) that La Chouquette’s owners, professional bakers Florent Verove and Mairead Deignan, honed their craft.

They went on to set up The Dough Boy – a wandering wood-fired pizza stall, then the Cidsin Scottish cafe, which later became La Chouquette.

La Chouquette (a small, hollow choux pastry puff, since you’re asking) is an all-together more delicate affair, with a nose-pressing window display of viennoisserie (bread-like) and pâtisserie (not bread-like).

Think traditional French pastries: croissants, pains au chocolat, gâteaux, elegant eclairs, millefeuilles, opéras, financiers, canelés and madeleines. There are also fruit tarts and fraisiers, meringues and brightly coloured macarons, plus seasonal specials and celebration cakes.

Savouries include classic quiche Lorraine in individual portions, freshly baked brioche, and sourdough baguettes. Other bestsellers include posh sausage rolls (technically not a French delicacy, but hey) made using meat from Didsbury butchers Little Pigs. Everything is handmade and baked on site using only the finest French ingredients and high-quality local produce.

Stockport-based Worker Bee supplies the tea and coffee, and there’s also a small deli stocking small batch jams and artisan crackers and biscuits.

If it’s a Proustian moment you’re after, this might well be the place to find it.

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