Cupcake Monday! Celebrating 150 Years of Ladurée

It's been 150 years since Louis Ernest Ladurée, a miller from the southwest of France, opened a bakery at 16 rue Royale in Paris. Baguettes, pain, brioche. No macarons, no Religieuses just yet. The patisserie was built after a fire destroyed the boulangerie during the Paris Commune uprising of 1871 (I guess it gave them a chance to rethink their potential alongside their luxurious neighbours?) and Jules Chéret was commissioned to create the interior decor. The cherubs dressed as pastry chefs that he painted on the ceiling, and the gorgeous celadon green he used for the exterior and interior (one of the  most beautiful pastel colours in existence), were used to create the Ladurée emblem and are a strong element of their branding today. 

Ladurée began celebrating the anniversary in January and have been introducing a special edition box of macarons and a pastry each month.

This gorgeous box by Tsumori Chisato (I included a look from her SS12 collection that seemed reminiscent of the box design) contains special anniversary Cherry Blossom macarons created by Ladurée chef Vincent Lemains, who, for the first time in their history, changed the filling to a guimauve, or marshmallow.  There's a scented candle as well if you want the full cherry blossom olfactory experience. You'll have to find your own matching coral-pink hanky to wipe up the drool.

I will be checking out the anniversary collection for myself, preferably on the other side of the Channel. (And in all likelihood I will not feel like sugar that day - that happened last time I visited the Champs Elysees location in Paris last spring, I was in the mood for savoury! Good thing they do gorgeous food, but come on eh?)

Comments

[elena daciuk]

les sigh...now i'm craving... =)

[Denise @ Swelle]

Elena - I was ready to hop on a train to London!