Meet Sonia Haumonté (Vaniyé), New Zealand’s favorite pastry
Named “New Zealand’s Favorite French Dessert” for the second year in a row, we had the opportunity to speak with Sonia Homonti, pastry chef and co-owner of I love you in Parnell. sA modern and contemporary French pastry shop, Vanyé was founded by Laurent and Sonia Haumonté. Their passion for this artisanal culinary heritage translates into a range of products that pair beautifully as they enter the store: handmade cakes and chocolates, pastries, croissants and baguettes.
Hi Sonia, where are you from and when were you in New Zealand?
I am German And the Thai. born in New ZealandI trained and worked at Paris. originating regimentAnd the Lawrence French. Go to Paris to continue his career. Both are passionate about French gastronomy, and our profession has always revolved around food and good company. Our shared love of French gastronomy prompted us to open our own pastry shop.
How did the story of Vanier begin?
we arrived to Auckland In 2009 after spending nearly a decade Paris. During the early years, we spent time doing research and development and selling our “à la parisienne” cakes in the markets of New Zealand. All while getting to know the locals. After a few years, we felt ready to open a shop, so we set up our own sweet shop in ParnellSpecializing in high-end pastries, cakes, chocolates and of course, pastries.
Has Covid affected your business?
Everyone has been affected by this terrible epidemic. It is scary but reassuring that we are not alone in the struggle to live and make a living. We were directly affected during the lockdown when we continued to pay the bills with no income. We realized that reality and consumption habits would change from now on, so we started planning during the lockdown for an alternative future.
What did you put in place?
Communication is key as we continue to increase our presence on social media and send newsletters to our customers. The goal is to improve and grow our online sales, create new recipes and launch new product lines for a limited time. We have really focused on productivity and cost control without compromising quality.
What do the French Business Awards mean to you? Why is it important to participate?
It is important for our company to participate and it is a privilege for our entire team to be honored for this award. in home I love youWe attach great importance to preserving and protecting this French culinary heritage. This is more important in today’s modern world. With technology advancing so quickly, it is very easy to lose touch with the joy of doing things manually. Everyone wants to do things faster and tends to choose comfort over everything else. We are grateful to be able to bring so much happiness and emotional fulfillment to people, allowing young and old to appreciate the literal side of what we do. Our goal is to preserve this cultural heritage and pass on knowledge and knowledge to future generations so that they can continue to value this tradition.
Organized jointly by the New Zealand-French Chamber of Commerce and Le Petit Journal Auckland, for the second year French Business Awards for New Zealand View New Zealand cafes, restaurants and French bakeries / patisserie.
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