A couple in Derry~Londonderry have added a dash of je ne sais quoi to Derry’s Irish language and arts centre, Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin – with a French inspired cafe, bakery and deli, thanks to the help of the Go For It programme, in association with Derry City and Strabane District Council.

The project is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth and Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme.

Bácús, a new French-influenced cafe, bakery and deli has proved a hugely popular since it launched in early 2022 by couple Samantha Doherty and her partner Laurent Pirone – a native of Paris.

The new bakery, housed within the Cultúrlann building, offers baked products including sourdough breads and pastries, as well as croissants and pain au chocolat and every day there is a choice of light lunch options such as soups and quiches.

Samantha who manages the business operations, said: “Laurent likes to put a French and European twist on his dishes such as warm onion soup and quiche Lorraine and a selection of French breads like Fougasse, Brioche and Baguettes. However, you can find traditional Irish staples on the menu too such as homemade sourdough, wheaten bread, scones and stew.”

Laurent has more than 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, having previously worked as Head Chef in Paris before moving back to Derry~Londonderry in 2009.

“He is so passionate about food and always wanted to get back into hospitality and using his art for cooking to bring a taste of France to Derry.” she says.

The couple got in touch with Go For It in October 2021 about their long-held dream of opening a new French-inspired cafe and went through the programme with the help of mentor Caolan Campbell.

Samantha said: “Just as we were finishing the programme, we had the opportunity to go visit the unit in the Cultúrlann so we talked to Go For It about it. Because Laurent is a chef, it seemed to make sense to do a bit of both – a cafe and a bakery.

“Bácús means ‘bakery’ in Irish. Go For It encouraged us and said it was low risk for us because we didn’t have to buy any equipment apart from some small, specialised bakery equipment, as everything else was already in place.”

While the couple have been hugely busy getting Bácús up and running, Samantha is also working with a brand strategy manager and developing her marketing and social media skills.

She says the priority at the moment is to build up the customer base and find out what people really want: “Bread is definitely in huge demand – sourdough is really in vogue. People want quality food and they love that somebody is making it fresh daily on the premises!”