Savico Basset-Rouge, the Founder and owner of Le Bon Choix, trained under the legendary Laurent Boillon, one of the best and most successful pastry chefs in the world. 10 years later, it was time for Savico to spread his wings.
Savico relocated from Melbourne to Brisbane and in 2004 opened the first boulangerie patisserie in Albany Creek, on the north side of Brisbane. Whilst it didn’t present with the same chic and polished veneer that Le Bon Choix is renowned for today, customers quickly fell in love with the food, becoming devotees to the French favourite.
With proof of concept, Savico set his sights on opening a bigger, better and more refined version on Queen Street, in Brisbane’s CBD. The location was favoured for its large, iconic, fig tree which reminded Savico of Paris.
This store put Le Bon Choix on the map and made it an institution amongst corporate elite. It’s success also paved the way for expansion with an additional 11 stores opening across Southeast Queensland.
Savico attributes much of Le Bon Choix's success to an incredible amount of hard work and a responsibility to carry on the legacy of his predecessors.
“The baton must be passed from generation to generation, and we take this responsibility seriously. The authenticity of the product – flavours, ingredients, preparation, and processes must be upheld. We never take shortcuts… This is how we've maintained the quality of our food since the day one.”
“We're also in love with how food transcends borders and brings people together. It’s wonderful seeing people at the cafes from many different cultures smiling and happily enjoying the food and each other’s company. A smile is a language that everyone understands and we're in the business of creating more of them. It’s a beautiful reward for working so hard and fulfils the most basic of needs that we all have – to create, to contribute, to share and to love.”
