“She is so inspiring”: Nina Métayer opens two bakeries and pastry shops in La Rochelle, her hometown

There is almost no point in introducing her, as her face and her journey have been around the country. The very famous Rochelaise pastry chef Nina Métayer is finally back on her native lands, where This weekend of November 16 and 17, she inaugurated two bakeries and pastry shops. And without much surprise, long queues of gourmands fanned out for these openings.

Saturday November 16, in front of the bakery and pastry shop “ The Oven », Boulevard Sautel, the first fans arrived at 7:00 a.m. And yet the inauguration was only scheduled for around 11:00 a.m.! The line of gourmands grew so quickly that the sale of pastries and other sweets must have started well before time. New proof, if any were needed, of the notoriety of Nina Métayer, best pastry chef in the world 2024, according to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and former participant in television shows, such as “The best pastry chef” on M6.

“She is so inspiring” smiles Charlotte, her cheeks red after the half-hour queue in the cold to buy a pastry. The young woman drove two hours with her partner and her baby to be present at the opening”I’ve been following her for a very long time! I even brought my apron back to have it autographed.” she smiles. A little further on, Pierre is impatiently waiting with his friend to be able to order as many pastries as possible. “the classics, chocolatines, croissants, but also its variations around pistachio, we will take everything we can” exclaims the student cook, who speaks of Nina Métayer with stars in her eyes.

The bakeries where Nina Métayer trained

“The Oven“, inaugurated this Saturday, boulevard Sautel, and “At Paillat”inaugurated this Sunday, avenue Carnot are not places chosen at random by Nina Métayer for her installation in La Rochelle. “These are the bakeries where Denis Baron trained me” she explains movedly. She started with a CAP in bakery, indeed “At Paillat”, where his mentor worked. “It makes a lot of sense for me to buy them back.”

But for the pastry chef, there is no question of giving up on the work she has done in the capital. These two bakeries-pastry shops are added to the two Parisian ones, and to its digital store “The Delicatisserie”. Since 2020, his team has grown at lightning speed, from 3 to 80 people. Around thirty should work daily in its stores in La Rochelle.