VIVE LA CRÊPE Revolution

Bursting with passion and excitement, Flo’s Crêperie of Noosa has now made its big debut in Mooloolaba, says Helen Flanagan.

You would be hard-pressed to find a French person not smitten by oh-so enticing delicate pancakes with slightly ruffled edges, known as crêpes, which come from the region of Bretagne and date back to the 13th century. Today they are eaten with gusto anytime, by everyone, and anywhere in the world, especially in the famous holiday destinations of Noosa Heads and Mooloolaba at Flo’s Crêperie.

As the French say ‘pourquoi pas’ or ‘why not’, when at the helm is Florian ‘Flo’ Guillemard, born in Bretagne, the original home of crêpes.

“It was part of our culture to eat them once a week and typically for dinner,” recalls Florian, who aged 17 went to a French hospitality school for five years, learning every aspect of restaurants before heading to London as manager of famous venues such as The Ivy and Scotts.

“I was always on the hunt for the best crêpes in our beautiful seaside town of La Baule and became obsessed with salted caramel, the standard candy of my area,” he says. “In France we say there are as many crêpe recipes as there are churches! I also love the fact there are plenty of different ways of making crêpes – some like them soft, others crisp.”

When Florian and wife Michelle returned to Australia, there were no crêperies, however after using markets to gauge interest, they opened four and were overwhelmed with the responses.

In 2020, they made the seachange to Noosa Heads, which Florian says is reminiscent of his home town’s beauty, and opened their first Flo’s Crêperie on Sunshine Beach Road, Noosa Junction in September.

Skill and passion are necessities in Flo’s crêpes. As is some lighthearted fun.

“Making one crêpe is easy but making one thousand crêpes requires skills you learn over many years,” explains Florian. “If there is no love, it is impossible to create an excellent crêpe consistently.

“Salted Caramel crêpes are very popular and remind me of home and I am so proud of Flo’s salted caramel sauce, a recipe I worked on and perfected over many years. Similarly Take Me Back, with chocolate, whipped cream and ice cream, is a crêpe I ate when I was young.”

What to eat when, is up to you. With a versatile menu you can have, dessert for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or why not a savoury crêpe followed by a sweet crêpe?

Savoury crêpes, are called galettes, contain buckwheat flour, which is naturally gluten free so you do not feel full or bloated. For savoury crêpes, nothing beats seafood, such as prawns from Tin Can Bay, delivered directly from the fisherman, pan-fried with garlic and parsley sauce, juicy and delicious, perfect for sharing! Or the La Saint Jacques, with local scallops, pan-fried buttered leeks, cheese and garlic-macadamia crumbs.

French classics include Alpine Cheese with raclette cheese, bacon, potato and caramelised onions; the more traditional Complète with ham, cheese and egg; or for galettes with an Aussie twist, try Après Surf with bacon, egg, cheese and avocado; or the Hinterland Harvest with spinach, feta, mushroom and avocado.

For lovers of a light lunch there are galette salads; Mediterranean options go well with a glass of prosecco or rosé; cocktails, fries and side salads are all the rage as are vegan, gluten free and vegetarian options; and if you are looking for a fire-y crowd-pleasing finale, The Suze based on the famous Crêpe Suzette created in Paris in 1895, is lit at your table.

The ‘explosive’ combination of orange segments, orange zest, caramel sauce and Grand Marnier, is simply divine.

Whilst Flo’s Crêperie is now famous and firmly ensconced in the cosmopolitan heart of Noosa Heads, another Flo’s Crêperie has been a roaring success since opening in the emerging foodie hub of The Wharf Mooloolaba.

“We’ve had quite a few people who know of us from Noosa Heads come by - and lots of visitors from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane here on holidays, with many returning,” said Michelle Guillemard.

“It’s so exciting seeing the reaction to the food, and a different option for a lot of people to have crêpes for dinner.”

TIME TO GO WITH THE FLO?

Flo’s Crêperie takes reservations, walk-ins and is open daily from 7am until 9pm, in Noosa Heads and Mooloolaba locations. For more, visit www.floscreperie.com, or check out Instagram and Facebook.

Bloody Good

(Excuse Our French)

Enjoy a taste of France in a relaxed, friendly setting

Hearty, decadent, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free. No matter what your tastes are, we have the perfect crêpe for you.