Recent Media Coverage
- Taste T.O., September-04-2009
- Toronto Star, July-04-2009
- Weddingbells Fall/Winter 2009 & Wedluxe Summer/Fall 2009
- Canada AM Interview, June-25-2009
- Holt Renfrew's Gourmet Cafe, May-23-2009
- 8 Chefs, April-23-2009
- Article in National Post, April-11-2009
- Toronto Fashion Week, March-19-2009
- Article in Vitamin Daily, Feb-2-2009
- Article in BizBash, Jan-14-2009
- Feature Article in The Globe and Mail, Jan-15-2009
- Official Launch Of Bobbette & Belle, Jan-5-2009
- Feature Article By The Wedding Co, Dec-1-2008
Taste T.O., September-04-2009
Marveling at the Macaron
Allyson Meredith Bobbitt and Sarah Bell know macarons. Bell, a pastry chef, and Bobbitt, a custom cake designer (with her own company, Allyson Meredith Cakes), combined their talents and mutual love for the classic French pastry to create Bobbette & Belle, a company specializing in that irresistibly delicate cookie with the soft, decadent centre....
Read the complete article on Blog T.O.
Toronto Star, July-04-2009
Special to The Star
Pastry chefs Sarah Bell and Allyson Meredith take the croquembouche template and, instead, craft a tower of Parisienne macarons.
The delicate almond meringue cookies sandwiching flavours ranging from chocolate ganache or passion-fruit buttercream can be found at Bobbette and Belle (bobbetteandbelle.com).
Bell and Meredith opened their shop last year after studying the art of the traditional macaron in France under chef Pierre Hermé.
"Every bride is looking for something unique to have at her wedding, something that will set her wedding apart from others," Bell says. "They especially like the chance to colour match the macarons to their wedding colours."
Weddingbells Fall/Winter 2009 & Wedluxe Summer/Fall 2009
Bobbette & Belle's French Macarons appear
in Wedluxe and Weddingbells Magazines!
Canada AM Interview, June-25-2009
Bobbette & Belle's French Macarons
Featured on Canada AM.
Holt Renfrew's Gourmet Cafe, May-23-2009
Bobbette & Belle's French Macarons Featured
At Holt Renfrew's Gourmet Cafe
We are happy to announce that the Bobbette & Belle French macaron has made its retail debut at Holt Renfrew's (Bloor Street location) Gourmet Cafe (on the concourse level) and will be sold there on a regular basis. Please visit the cafe to purchase our French macarons as they are beautifully packaged by the dozen and half dozen in a variety of flavours and colours! They make the perfect hostess gift, to be served after dinner with champagne, or they are also sold in packages of 3, a perfect self indulgence to satisfy your sweet tooth craving!
8 Chefs, April-23-2009
On April 23, 2009, we had the pleasure of participating in "The Eight Chefs event, held at The Board of Trade, to celebrate its official launch as the newest event space added to the OliverBonacini restaurant group line-up. Check out the full event coverage as blogged by:
Article in National Post, April-11-2009
Spring Bling
April showers call for indulgences in the forms of scarves, sweets and skirts.
... But are the cupcake's days as Toronto's top sweet treat numbered? Inspired by Laduree and Pierre Herme in Paris, award-winning cake designer Allyson Meredith Bobbit and pastry chef Sarah Bell have launched Bobbette & Belle. Their sole specialty? French macaroons. The pair craft the fresh butter-cream- filled meringue discs, in flavours including raspberry, pecan and espresso, for any occasion. Imagine the drama of a monogrammed macaroon tower instead of a wedding cake! $2 each; towers from $500 (416-828-6834, bobbetteandbelle.com)...
Toronto Fashion Week, March-19-2009
We had the pleasure of participating in LG Toronto Fashion week, Thursday March 19th. The fashion designer for Amie Luxury, Monica Chiu, was inspired by the cafe's of Paris and what better way to enjoy the show by nibbling on a French macaron! Each VIP guest received a French macaron at the show.
Click here to see what the National Post had to say about Bobbette & Belle!
Article in Vitamin Daily, Feb-2-2009
Vitamin Daily, wrote this online article which features Bobbette & Belle.
Mad About Macarons
Forget cutesy cupcakes – the macaron uprising is in full swing. And by macaron we mean the feather light, ganache filled, almond-meringue buttons perfected by the patisseurs of Paris.
Here in Toronto, two passionate pasty chefs, Allyson Bobbitt and Sarah Bell have spent the last nine months mastering their version of the French macaron at Bobbette and Belle. Inspired by the confections of the “Picasso of Pastry” Pierre Hermé, they traveled all the way from their Toronto kitchen to his famous boutique on Rue Bonaparte in Paris in the name of research. The end result—delicate and sweet and buttery smooth—is nothing short of divine.
Bobbette and Belle is already on many a bride-to-be’s wish list (think Marie Antoinette-style bonbonnieres, centre pieces and shower favours). Just imagine a wedding cake made entirely from tiny espresso, vanilla, passion fruit, caramel and raspberry macarons.
Let them eat cake.
Packaged macarons from $5-$15. Individual macarons, $2 each. For more information, contact Allyson Meredith Bobbitt & Sarah Bell at 416-828-6834 or info@bobbetteandbelle.com.
Article in BizBash, Jan-14-2009
Colourful, Customized French Macarons
Bobbette & Belle, a collaboration between Allyson Meredith Bobbitt (of Allyson Meredith Cakes) and Sarah Bell (former head pastry chef at Canoe), is a new bakery specializing in French macarons. The decadent almond meringue cookies—which cost $2 each, plus more for packaging—are filled with chocolate ganache or butter cream and are available in flavours such as passionfruit, pecan, espresso, caramel, vanilla, peanut butter, and raspberry. A pearl finish can be dusted onto the cookies, and hand-painted monograms can be added for an additional cost. Four custom packaging options are available, and custom gift tags can be created to include corporate logos and colours. A minimum order of $300 is required, and a delivery charge of $75 is applied to all orders within the Greater Toronto Area. Bobbette & Belle also offers macaron towers in a variety of sizes as an addition to a dessert table.
Feature Article in The Globe and Mail, Jan-15-2009
Let Them Eat Macaroons
The cupcake is dead, gone to that confectionery in the sky to join Krispy Kreme, another nostalgic food fad that suffered from overexposure.
In its place is the macaroon, a Parisian delicacy made of finely ground almonds, sugar and egg whites - a lighter dessert for our light-of-wallet times.
Small, round and boasting as many colours as a Pucci scarf, macaroons are fast becoming a fixture at weddings, in some cases piled high as a tower to replace the traditional tiered cake, as was seen last weekend at The Wedding Show at the Carlu, in Toronto.
The macaroon gained serious street cred after hitting Oprah's O List last spring. Since then, the new, circular shape of cool is being seen anywhere there's a pot of tea or a glass of champagne with which to wash them down.
Couture Cuisine, one of Toronto's top caterers, featured macaroons as part of its Wedding Show display. Custom-cake maker Allyson Meredith Bobbitt and pastry chef Sarah Bell used the event to launch their new macaroon business, Bobbette & Belle - created with the recession in mind.
"We specifically made single-sized macaroons in customized packaging, starting at $5.50 a box. The bride and groom can give them as favours, or go big and serve them at the reception," Ms. Meredith Bobbitt said.
She is already fielding requests for towers. She charges $500 for an arrangement that that feeds 210, $250 for one half that size.
In a variety of flavours, from salted caramel to passion fruit, the macaroons "eat like a truffle because they're rich, decadent and melt in your mouth," Ms. Bell said.
Long live the new decadent cookie!
Official Launch Of Bobbette & Belle, Jan-5-2009
Colourful, Customized French Macarons
Official Launch Of Bobbette & Belle at The Wedding Co. Show, Hosted by The Carlu
After many months of hard work we had the pleasure of officially launching our new business, Bobbette & Belle at The Wedding Co. Show hosted by the Carlu, on January 9th, 2009. We are excited to introduce the French macaron as a delicious and perfect treat for party favours and macaron towers, to all of Toronto's special events and occasions!
Feature Article By The Wedding Co, Dec-1-2008
Marvy Macaroons!
Move over cupcakes! Two Toronto girls are cooking, and coloring, French Macaroons: the international sweet du jour.
After countless recipes, trips to Paris, New York and Los Angeles and copious taste tests Allyson Meredith and Sarah Bell have unveiled their current raison d’etre: the famously tricky, but worth all the effort, French macaron cookie.
A signature crunch followed by a slow melt in your mouth experience, indicative of the perfect macaron, is improved upon only by the cookie’s range of colours and flavours.
Gorgeous for wedding favours, macarons can be coloured to suit any colour scheme and their history makes them a great conversation piece. Meredith and Bell were inspired by L.A.’s Paulette Macarons and the famous Ladurée, a Parisian patisserie responsible for revolutionizing the 16th century single layer cookie Catherine di Medici brought to Paris.
Though the famous macaron has been around for centuries, it’s experiencing a renaissance of its own around the world. Since 2001, seasonal and non-traditional flavours and colours have become vogue and have popularized the once tawdry pastry. While fine bakeries are incorporating them into their menus new companies like Bobbette and Belle, Meredith and Bell’s company, are emerging to offer macarons exclusively.
We predict you’ll start to see macarons everywhere and we’ve named them one of the trends for 2009. See them up close and personal at The Wedding Show this January.
Photo by Jon Thorpe at Union Photography Inc.