J'AIME December 2017

all over the place, people come in and buy it as gifts
for friends, and we’ve even had people take bottles
of it back to France! It’s really popular; we’ve never
changed the recipe and it’s made in the same way.”
The restaurant oozes French rustic charm, from
the vintage French signs which adorn the walls to
the decorative knick-knacks perched high up on the
exposed beams - the building is a converted barn and
itself offers a sense of country chic.
And if things couldn’t get much more, well, French,
the Creperie often has an accordionist playing
traditional music while diners relax and enjoy the
cosy atmosphere; sitting there with the twinkly,
soothing notes washing over you, you can easily
imagine being in any quaint cafe across the pond.
“Over the years we’ve got to know a lot of our
customers really well,” says Lynette. “They like
to come into a restaurant where they get a warm
welcome, it’s acknowledged that they come here a lot
and they like to see familiar faces.
“We have a couple who come all the way from
Doncaster because it’s their favourite place.”
For the festive season, the Creperie offers a
Christmassy twist on their fillings, with turkey
and wild and cultivated mushrooms steeped in
chardonnay and topped with cranberry sauce, and
pork and herbs with calvados and apple sauce, as
well as a vegetarian ricotta, mixed peppers and
courgette ribbons with mixed nuts and chutney.
Sweet crepes include stewed apples and sultanas with
cinnamon and ice cream and a fruity mincemeat
with ice cream, chantilly cream and glazed cherries.
A new special is a Christmas pudding crepe with
LYNETTE MORRIS AND
SHEILA LEWIS OUTSIDE
THE CREPERIE
brandy custard, while the cherry flambé crepe - a
boozy concoction set alight - adds a bit of theatre to
proceedings.
“We’re always very busy at Christmas time,” says
Sheila. “We’ve got people travelling from one end of
the country visiting family and stopping off here; for
many of our customers coming here is a Christmas
tradition.”
Chef Wendy Jackson is at the helm in the kitchen.
In keeping with the authentic feel of the restaurant,
all of the crepes and galettes are made by hand
using the traditional Breton method and batter
made in-house. Produce is sourced locally, with fish
and seafood from Birmingham fish market, and the
exquisite chocolate sauce which adorns many of the
sweet crepes is also made in-house from scratch.
“There’s a real art to proper crepe-making,” says
Lynette. “When you watch our chefs they make it
look easy, but it’s not, it takes real skill.”
As well as the day-to-day customers who fill up the
restaurant, the Creperie has a function room to cater
for special occasions including wedding receptions
and christenings, and also regularly hosts a book
club and a local women’s business networking group.
Such is the true French feel of the creperie that
school groups often visit for an authentic French
experience.
“People have certain occasions where they always
come to us, be it mum’s birthday or Christmas Eve;
people build their family traditions around us and
I’m really proud of that,” says Lynette.
“We pride ourselves on old-fashioned values of
service, greeting customers at the door with a
warm welcome and a friendly smile, and when
you see people really enjoying their meal and their
experience, it’s wonderful.”
Find the Pear Tree Creperie at the Heart of the
Country Shopping Village, Swinfen, or visit the
website at www.peartreecreperie.co.uk for
more information.
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