By Anna Scott
The back end of King Street in Hammersmith might not seem like an obvious location for a traditional French patisserie, but since Patisserie Sainte-Anne opened its doors, there has been a ray of sunshine in Stamford Brook, no matter how overcast the weather. This is largely due to the sunny pink and yellow exterior, but if you’ve walked past it and been tempted to enter, you’ll find it reassuring to know that the inside is just as warm and inviting. Patisserie Sainte-Anne actually started life in the home of the patisseries, Paris, spending twenty years in the 13th arrondissement before upping sticks and moving to our very own King Street. So how does it shape up when it comes to supplying this part of west London with all its cake and pastry requirements?
Until recently, my school-run routine included a wait at the bus stop directly opposite Patisserie Sainte-Anne, but it was only once my older daughter started after-school ballet that I gave myself an indulgent excuse to check it out while I was waiting for her to finish all the pirouettes. Upon entering, their blackboard inside detailed not only their history but also the significance of the ‘patisserie’ name. If you thought that patisserie was just a direct translation of ‘cake shop’ (or something similar) then you are mistaken; according to Patisserie Sainte-Anne, the term ‘patisserie’ is protected in France, and in order to use it you must make your cakes and the like on your premises. No brought-in sweet things here, thank you very much. Another clue to the homemade nature of their cakes and pastries was the clearly visible mammoth-sized Kitchen Aid-style electric mixer in their kitchen, the sort of thing required for producing your own croissants on a semi-industrial scale.
This name business is all very well, but you might be wondering—are the cakes any good? Well, of course they are. Patisserie Sainte-Anne used to be situated in Paris, after all. We tried their croissants, pain au chocolat and macarons, all of which tasted exactly as they should and then some—in other words, about a million times better than the sort you pick up from the supermarket when you’re in a bit of a rush. I didn’t try the coffee on the couple of occasions that we visited, but I can confirm that their pots of Earl Grey are superb and, like any good coffee shop would, they supplied my younger daughter with a babycino which met her exacting standards.
My only criticism of Patisserie Sainte-Anne would be the seating. There are a few tables available at the front by the window, where we parked our behinds on the first visit, and some seating near the kitchen. On our return, I thought we’d check out the back, expecting one of those tardis-like rooms that you often find in cafés that appear a bit small from the outside. However, there were only a couple more tables there. There was, however, a nice terrace available—one for the warmer months perhaps.
If you want to find out more information about Patisserie Sainte-Anne, get some cakes made to order, or just drool over pictures of their handmade delights, you can pay their website a visit.
About the author:
Anna Scott is a freelance writer, parent, procrastinator and Hammersmith resident. When she’s not attempting to write her first young adult fiction novel, in between reading and reviewing the odd book or two, she can be found chasing after her two little girls. In a previous life she was a politics graduate and wine trade lackey. Head over to Anna Scott Jots to find out more…
