This week’s business in the Spotlight is La Petite Patisserie in Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands.

La Petite Patisserie listed on Worldwide’s World Guide free of charge. This guide allows people to support South African businesses abroad.

Hello

I am a qualified foodservice manager and nutritionist who believes in thorough training in and understanding of food for everyone. We moved from South Africa to the Netherlands in 2018 and I closed my beloved baking school, La Petite Patisserie Academy, that had been operating for eight years.

I found that education around food is more sought after in Europe, and the public are always looking for high-quality, nutritious and delicious meals.

Over a few years, I wrote training material that is easy to understand.  I will be sharing recipes, tutorials and baking ideas on my website. Food fundamentals such as applied food science is always part and parcel of my courses.

I wrote courses in bread baking, French pastries, meringues, cake decorating and cake baking. These courses were presented to just over 1 000 students in just under eight years. Most of them now own their own home bakeries or work in or contribute to the baking industry. Courses were accredited with the FoodBev SETA and we had training memberships with the South African Chefs Association.

Together with my head baker, Lennie, lecturers Charleen, Michelle, Liezl, Kayla and Dessy, we all built up a beautiful business and I am so grateful for everyone’s contribution.

Would you like to attend a workshop? I present training from my home or on-site at your location in English, Afrikaans and Dutch. There is also an online video course in each subject available for purchase.

Food photography and styling of baked items are always part of my service, so be sure to have some lovely photos of your work afterwards!

I never had an investor and never took out a loan but started with a few rands in my pocket. This is how it all started …

I grew up in Pretoria. When I finished my studies in 2000, it took some determination to work fulltime in the food industry. What I wanted to do for a living needed a lot more experience, which I knew would only come with age. What I was really interested in, however, was the studies of food science, nutrition and microbiology. Even more interesting to me: Why do people make different food choices and have different ideas about eating? I loved speaking to my colleagues and later my students about their memories of food while growing up.

In 2010 my husband and I decided to move to Cape Town. I did not apply at any companies at that stage because I felt it would be an ideal time to start my own company, selling wedding cakes at first. La Petite Patisserie was founded that same year. I only had R400 on me to start something, so I advertised on free websites, used Facebook as marketing platform and bought most of my equipment at second-hand shops.

Although working in the wedding cake industry, I enjoyed the pastry section of the industry more. It is creative, innovative and I can mingle with people, which I enjoyed so much. In 2012 I was chosen by Discovery Channel’s TLC to participate as a contestant on the show Who is the Cake Boss? It was hosted in Cape Town (and I was 28 weeks pregnant, I may add!). I was approached to do training and to present a few demonstrations on DStv as well.

It was during this time that I discovered that I need to create a space for others to come and learn the art of cake baking and decorating. Initially we made space in our small home. However, when our baby started growing up and the day came when a delivery truck could not fit into our drive way, I saw the need to rent a kitchen.

My passions are summed up in teaching, photography and creating beautiful food.

LEARN | CREATE | ENJOY!

Nicolette van Niekerk