Buttermarket Street becomes home to new Hong Kong bakery

Grand Patisserie UK has arrived on Warrington’s high street, promising the best fresh desserts, handmade birthday cakes and authentic Japanese cheesecakes.

Joining the influx of recent Hong Kong businesses opening in the area, the Asian inspired bakery has well and truly put the butter in Buttermarket Street.

After opening its doors for the first time on Saturday, August 20, the patisserie has attracted a mix of locals and Hong Kong nationals in to try its traditional pastries.

Owners, Cheryl Chan and Jeremy Au, moved to Warrington from Hong Kong last year to the WA4 area to start a new life.

Cheryl, a trained baker, detailed how after the UK visa scheme opened to Hong Kong nationals, her and her husband decided to move their lives to Warrington to give their seven-year-old daughter a better education.

She said: “After the visas came in, we decided to make the move for a better environment and education for our child. We chose Warrington because it is between big cities and is a nice place to be.

“We never expected so many Hong Kong people to be here when we moved over.”

Having never owned a business before, both Cheryl and Jeremy changed careers to open the Patisserie which sells a variety of bright, colourful fresh treats.

Detailing why many fellow nationals may have made the similar jump, she said: “In Hong Kong, a lot of people will work the same profession their whole lives, but when we move here it is a chance to try something new. Also, the shop rent is much more affordable here compared to back home.”

Cheryl trained in Taiwan and Hong Kong on bakery courses and with her artistic flare can create even the most elaborate of designs for birthday cakes, including making the Instagram craze of smash cakes.

They also sell lots of traditional desserts such as matcha and red bean cake roll and mango crepe cake.

The couple detailed how they are currently busy preparing moon cakes for the upcoming mid-autumn festival, also known as the moon festival celebrated in Chinese culture, where it is said the moon is at its brightest on the day and moon cake is eaten to celebrate.

The festival will be even more important to the couple this year, as Cheryl explained how when they eat the moon cake it symbolises that although their families are currently apart, when they eat the cake, it will bring them together as the full moon comes together.

Having now settled more into life in the UK, Cheryl and Jeremy described the locals of Warrington as ‘incredibly kind’ and ‘welcoming’, with Cheryl detailing how their daughter has settled into a primary school in Appleton and often plays out in their neighbourhood with the other children.

The 35-year-old who has a masters degree in special needs education, described how ‘high pressure’ the educational system is back home for children with kids as young as two faced with exams to test their abilities and begin the process of trying to be placed into a high achieving school.

The carrying effect of this she said being that suicide rates are high during September time at the start of term.

She said: “In Hong Kong, we always think about the newer generation. I think our daughter likes it over here because the burden of studying is so high at home. Also, the resources for pupils are great with the one-to-one teaching.”

As well as selling baked goods the couple want to do their part in helping other Hong Kong nationals who are starting out in their own artsy or handmade ventures, by keeping a corner of the café as a display for anyone making handmade gifts to sell and advertise their work.

Cheryl said: “I have always liked art and I wanted to give Hong Kong and local people a platform to sell their own handmade artwork.”

The space is free to display unique gifts and the business will only take a five per cent commission fee from established businesses.

The patisserie is now open from 10am to 6pm, to see the tasty treats they sell visit their Facebook page @GrandpatisserieUK.Cheryl with some of her home baked goods