Ramon owns and Levant Bakery baker in Kemang, South Jakarta. Together with his business partner, Ramon opened shop in December to serve fresh bread bakery, baked goods and pastries.
Ramon, where are you and how did you end up in Jakarta?
I'm from Lyon, France, and came to Indonesia in 2007 for the opportunity to teach music at the French International School in Jakarta. I did that for seven years, until we opened the bakery in December 2014.
What inspired you to open a bakery in Jakarta ?
Cooking is my passion, it just makes me happy. I started with a bread Kenwood home doing normal machine that I used with yeast, I did. Then I tried to make leavened by hand and using my kitchen oven. Finally, I bought a large and a small oven, and for the past two years, while teaching, I also made a lot of bread at home for my friends and neighbors. There was a strong demand, so the idea came from there. I do not put on make money - I just wanted to cook. And twenty years of music teaching was enough!
Do you have experience in the food and beverage industry? Where did you train?
I trained in agriculture. I spent years running an organic vegetable farm near Bordeaux. Agriculture is very hard work; you do not get much money or vacation! So I suppose my power connection. But I am a self-taught baker - I went to Paris a year ago to spend time in a pastry and perfecting the art of growing , and I learned sourdough two baker my friends.
I have a local business partner - an architect with an office near who knows this area well. We searched the premises good for six months. Initially, I did not want a store, I just wanted to sell restaurants and hotels (what we do) - but we are here today
There are many competition in !; What do you think about this?
Yes, but I know most of them do everything in-house, they buy into croissants and frozen bread.
?We are, to my knowledge, the only bakery in the southern part of Jakarta which makes all products locally '-. We are unique
How's business
is not bad - we have not been open as long as we're still the word. The goal has always been to have prices that are not high. But the duties of government are really hard. 90 percent of our ingredients are imported, like butter of Europe, the cream of France, Australia, rye flour and Germany.
Who are your customers primarily?
Of course, friends of the French International School and community, as well as bystanders. There is a large majority of expatriates and especially by word-of-mouth. Customers appreciate that we're not exactly a restaurant - the food we offer is exclusively linked to baked goods, such as quiche, sandwiches, cheese platters or the campaign (with new assisettes coming soon!).
When are your busiest times?
We are open every day 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., but we are busiest on Saturday and Sunday mornings, when people come to buy pastry and pastry for the weekend. We also do delivery in Kemang area, and Pejatan Cipete.
What are your most popular products?
Crescent and chocolate bread are the most popular pastries. Quiche Lorraine is a big seller for lunch. Customers love the mini apple, pear and chocolate tarts. Here, people seem to eat less bread than in France, but sticks sell. We hope to become famous for our authentic leaven!
This is one of the oldest types of bread. He rose with a sourdough "starter" and, unlike what you can find for sale elsewhere in Jakarta must not contain something like modern yeasts today. The starter is a natural yeast culture lactobacillus that can be kept growing for years - there is said to begin in Egypt that are 1000 years old! I brought mine over the bakery of a friend in France there about a year. Each has a unique "personality" and taste, as it reacts with air, it is. It is easier to digest and more nutritious than normal bread, because of how it interacts with the body. It has a low glycemic index too, so you feel satisfied longer.
You can keep in the refrigerator for three to four weeks, and we can cut for you to store in the freezer. I chose to specialize in this because I grew up eating leaven all my life - until I moved here and could not find
At what time Start your day - you need to be up early to cook?
Well, the Levant rising means "- as in, with the sunrise! bread dough needs time to ferment or "prove", so in the morning there is a sequence to baguettes and croissants in our temperature - controlled room to specific settings to achieve this goal. I usually get here around 04:30. In bakeries in Paris, they could start with two or three in the morning to get ready for the rush at 7am.
What do you think of modern television shows like Great British Bake Off and Masterchef? Do you think they help to popularize your chosen form of art?
There are similar programs in France. I think they are funny, but they are not reality. Taste is so subjective, even if you are an "expert" in a region supposedly, it is still personal to each judge. I look at them, but sometimes I find them boring!
What is your vision for the future of the Levant Bakery?
For the short term, just to attract more customers. In the long term, there is the potential for us to create a brand and sell our bread more widely. But for now, one shop is enough! If we grow, I would be very careful not to compromise our quality in any way, which can be difficult with extensions.
Thank Ramon. To contact, please email levant.boulangerie@gmail.com
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Levant Bakery Jl. Benda Raya No. 12A, Kemang, Jakarta Selatan
.62 (0) 21 7884 7454, www.levant-kemang.com