Insights from My Experience at Crêpes School in Brittany, France

Gathered in a circle within a repurposed boat shed overlooking the port of St.-Malo in northwestern Brittany, our small group of unfamiliar faces begins to introduce ourselves. It’s late February 2020, just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic will bring the country to a standstill, and months ahead of what would typically be Brittany's bustling summer tourism. We’re here for crêpe school, with my classmates being mostly locals—a few retirees, a mother and daughter duo, and a high school senior—many using gift vouchers they received for Christmas.

"I’ve been living in St.-Malo for two decades and still don’t know how to make galettes," shares Béatrice, a pharmacist, referring to the savory crêpes crafted from buckwheat flour (in contrast to regular crêpes made with white flour, which tend to be sweeter).

"The last time I tried making them, it was a total disaster," recounts Jacques, a retiree sporting a walrus mustache. "There was a family intervention, so here I am," jokes his friend Jean-François. "I messed up the batter, the flipping, everything."

Galettes and crêpes hold the same significance in Brittany as pizza does in Naples: a beloved staple and an early dining memory. Mom-and-pop crêperies are everywhere, with around 1,800 establishments dedicated to this affordable dish. The savory options feature crispy edges filled with melted cheese, while the sweet crêpes are generously topped with Nutella, jam, or chestnut cream.

At the Atelier de la Crêpe—where I’m donning an apron with my new companions in a teaching kitchen on a Saturday morning—the aim is to elevate Brittany’s signature dish. The school usually offers six-week certificate courses for aspiring professional crêpiers, covering the history and culture of buckwheat. They also welcome amateurs with four-hour introductory classes, like the one I enrolled in.

This school was envisioned by restaurateur Bertrand Larcher, a local figure who opened the state-of-the-art facility in the fall of 2018. With nearly 25 years of dedication to promoting Brittany's culinary heritage, Larcher has established a network of Breizh Cafés in Tokyo and Paris, as well as in St.-Malo and nearby Cancale. These cafes serve modern takes on traditional crêpes, using organic flours and premium Bordier butter, complemented by natural wines or artisanal apple ciders. "To attract the younger generation, we must present things innovatively," he notes.

Growing up on a farm in northeastern Brittany, Larcher began his hospitality journey in Switzerland. There, he met his Japanese wife, Yuko, a perfumer, and in 1995, they relocated to Tokyo, where he opened the city's first Breton crêperie.

Upon returning to Brittany with Yuko and their five children, Larcher settled by the coast in St.-Malo. He has been actively investing in his adopted hometown ever since, aided by billionaire supporter and Brittany native François Pinault, the founder of the luxury fashion group Kering (owner of brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and Gucci). Pinault is now Larcher’s partner in expanding Breizh Cafés.

The flagship location, Le Comptoir Breizh Café, is situated in St.-Malo and produces exquisite, delicate crêpes using top-quality ingredients, whether in a maki-style roll or a traditional complète stuffed with savory ham, a runny egg, and nutty Comté. Larcher also runs a Japanese bistro, Otonali, next to his St.-Malo crêperie, as well as a shop offering buckwheat pasta and flour, salted caramels, and honey.

Larcher has also acquired a sprawling farm overlooking the sea in St.-Coulomb, just outside St.-Malo, where he envisions an ambitious culinary retreat, still years from realization, featuring restaurants, hotel accommodations, and a spa, along with ample farmland for on-site food production. He has already planted 3,000 apple saplings with plans to produce cider and 20 acres of buckwheat for milling into flour for—what else?—crêpes.

"This farm will reflect both Japanese and Breton influences," he remarks, trudging through the muddy fields in his wellingtons. "You’ll be able to savor a galette while sipping sake, all with a sea view."

As the farm project develops, the Atelier de la Crêpe stands as Larcher’s proudest accomplishment. He envisions the school as a way to advocate for the inclusion of Breton crêpes on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, alongside other culinary gems like Belgian beer and North African couscous.

My Saturday-morning class at the school proves to be unexpectedly challenging. Our chef-instructor, Claude Hirlay, demonstrates a hands-on technique for creating buckwheat batter, rolling up a sleeve, plunging an arm into the bowl, and vigorously mixing the ingredients back and forth—whack! WHACK!—until the batter becomes thick and airy.

We heat our Billigs to smoking point before pouring on the batter. Spreading the liquid into an even layer with our rozells (wooden batter spreaders) demands quickness and skill. The galettes should be thin enough to read a newspaper through, yet sturdy enough to hold plenty of fillings, Hirlay instructs. Mine, however, ended up a tangled mess—gloopy, oddly shaped, and crumbling apart.

"It takes practice," he explains. "Many think this task is simple. Just imagine trying to manage six orders simultaneously."

Learn How to Make Crêpes

St.-Malo is a three-hour train ride from Paris. L'Atelier de la Crêpe offers four-hour amateur classes on weekends. Classes start at $89.

Where to Stay

Located thirty minutes east of St.-Malo in Cancale, Bertrand Larcher runs a cozy guesthouse above the town's branch of the Breizh Café (a fantastic spot to watch crêpe artisans at work). Most rooms offer views of the oyster beds in the Bay of Mont-St.-Michel, just across the street. Rates for double rooms start at $164.

This article originally appeared in the September 2021 issue of Dinogo with the title A Breton Bite.