Maxime Frédéric is a master chocolatier and knows everything about his chocolates. And everything is everything. He knows the cows that supply him with milk and butter: they graze on a Normandy farm near Granville, the town where he was born 33 years ago. He knows where the mill that makes the flour for his cakes is and has personally chosen the cocoa for his chocolates. He has been to the coffee farms in Bolivia whose beans are then processed in Paris: “They are roasted at Maison Verlet, with the same method as in 1884,” he explains.
Frédéric could authenticate each of his chocolates as if they were a piece of haute couture. We had a coffee with the pastry chef of the Cheval Blanc Paris hotel and creator for Louis Vuitton of this chocolate shop that accompanies the LV Dream exhibition at number 2 Rue de Pont-Neuf in Paris. “During a visit to the maison de Asniéres-sur-Seine (the house where Vuitton settled in 1859) the concept was born. We work from the historical archive, we are inspired by the flat-top trunks and the leathers of the artisans”.
Master Frédéric brings us the jewel of the house, the Coffrette Vivienne (250 euros), his favorite cake. He works as a team with 65 people who, among other tasks, embody the monogram on each sweet: Éclair au chocolat Signature Louis Vuitton (16 euros), Entremets Noisette (18 euros) or Tablette garnie Malle (50 euros).
It is probably the busiest cafe in Paris. Every day 600 people pass through here. But don’t imagine queues or waiting, the experience is a real luxury because if everyone can’t buy a Louis Vuitton bag, they can try their chocolates. And Frédéric’s mission is to remember that luxury is made up of real experiences like savoring a good chocolate cake.
