Holiday romances usually
end in the departure lounge
but not for Finbar O’Connell.
His passion for ham and cheese crepes,
which started in the French ski resort of
Les Arcs, is still burning brightly, so
much so, he and his partner Pippa Dawes
decided to bring posh pancakes to
Brighton.
One of the few creperies in the city,
Crepe Boutique is a welcome alternative
to the ubiquitous sandwich bar, not least
because crepes (at only 80 calories)
are lighter and less fattening than
sandwiches – depending on what you
decide to load it with, of course.
On the menu, there is an imaginative
range of hot, sweet and savoury
pancakes on offer from the Club Crepe,
filled with chicken, bacon and mixed
salad, to the Strawberry Cheesecake,
made with crushed digestive biscuits,
cream cheese and strawberry sauce, to
the classic lemon and sugar pancake.
“We spent many evenings dreaming
up combinations,” says Pippa. “We had
a lot fun coming up with names like
the Popeye (spinach and ricotta) and
Rocketman (feta, red onion and rocket).
“We think we’ve got it just right and
have made an effort to cater for all tastes.
“There are plenty of healthy options –
hummus, honey and sugar-free jam – and
more indulgent ones too, like Nutella,
toffee sauce and whipped cream.”
Customers can choose from a variety
of tried and tested combinations – all
under £3, or can build their own from a
selection of fillings.
The basic crepe which includes
one filling costs £2.50, and can be
supplemented by extra fillings at 40p
each.
Wash the tasty snack down with a
flavoured milkshake or an Innocent
smoothie, a cup of tea or filter coffee.
Determined to do it properly, Pippa
and Finbar travelled to France to learn
how to make crepes French style.
“Finbar was a plasterer by trade and
he’s picked up the technique really
quickly – it’s all in the wrist,” says
Pippa, who supplements her income
from Crepe Boutique with a job in IT at
Legal & General.
The special batter is shipped in from
France and is made from all natural
ingredients.
Crepe Boutique is currently takeaway
only but with the beach just a
stone’s throw from the shop, why not
find a comfy patch on the pebbles and
indulge?
Review by Xenia Gregoriadis
If you are interested in restaurants in Brighton, Hove and Sussex, visit www.theargusfoodguide.co.uk
