After almost 20 years, pioneering French bakery Chouquette is no more. But there’s still hope it could live on elsewhere, its owners say.
Pioneering French bakery Chouquette has closed its New Farm premises permanently. The business announced the news last week via social media.
“After a wonderful journey filled with sweet memories and cherished moments, our French patisserie will be closing its doors,” the post read. “We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your loyalty and support over the years. It has been our pleasure to share our passion for French pastries with you.”
A follow-up comment on the Instagram post explained that the bakery served its final customers in late May, and that a new business had taken over the lease on the Barker Street premises.
Talking to this masthead on Tuesday, co-owner Gusni Melington declined to provide details about the closure but said there was potential for the brand to live on elsewhere.
“There are a lot of reasons [for the closure], which I can’t really say at this stage,” he said.
“It might be gone for now – in a month’s time, I [can hopefully] say something more – but it may not be gone forever. That’s all I can say at this stage.”
The closure marks the end of an era for baked goods in Brisbane, with Chouquette’s elevated pastries and breads a precursor to a wave of operators that followed, such as Christian Jacques, Sprout and Agnes Bakery, among many others.
“It might be gone for now … but it may not be gone forever. That’s all I can say at this stage.”
Chouquette co-owner Gusni Melington
Chouquette was opened in late 2006 by Lara Keating and quickly established itself as an inner-north go-to for French-inspired breads, pastries and cakes.
Husband and wife team Fabrice and Meggy Delaunay took over the business in July 2018 and expanded its back-of-house operations, before selling to Melington and co-owner Samuel Chen in 2022.
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Matt Shea is Food and Culture Editor at Brisbane Times. He is a former editor and editor-at-large at Broadsheet Brisbane, and has written for Escape, Qantas Magazine, the Guardian, Jetstar Magazine and SilverKris, among many others.
