Did you know that there was a support activity to send snacks to evacuation centers during the heavy rain disaster in July 2018?
Over the six months from July to December, a total of about 3,900 snacks were distributed to those living in evacuation centers.
The person who called for the support activity is Shogo Nishio, the owner of Patisserie La Biche, located in front of Shin-Kurashiki Station.
Patisserie La Biche, which is located in Tamashima, Kurashiki City, celebrated its 7th anniversary in 2020.
The cakes, made with plenty of local fruits, have gradually gained popularity through word of mouth, and it is now cherished as an indispensable cake shop in Tamashima.
“I just act immediately when I think of something,” says Nishio.
We will introduce the events during the heavy rain disaster in July 2018 and what lies ahead in an interview.
The cake shop in Tamashima, “Patisserie La Biche”
“Patisserie La Biche” is located right in front of Shin-Kurashiki Station. It is a shop that has gained a reputation mainly among customers in Tamashima through word of mouth.
The owner patissier of La Biche is Shogo Nishio, who is from Tamashima.
After training for 11 years at a patisserie in Kurashiki City, he opened the shop in 2013.
A cute neighborhood cake shop with a white and pink theme.
In October 2019, the shop was renovated, and eat-in seats were also established.
Due to measures against the novel coronavirus, there are restrictions on entering the shop (as of June 2020).
The parking lot is located behind the shop, with a shared parking lot for the building that accommodates 8 cars.
This is the shared parking lot of the Shin-Kurashiki redevelopment building. Be careful not to park incorrectly.
The newly established eat-in area at Patisserie La Biche
The pop and bright interior of La Biche. No matter where you look, it is filled with sweets.
Around the shop, there are cute gift sets and baked goods with lovely wrapping.
A colorful showcase is located directly in front of the entrance.
With the renovation of the shop, the eat-in area has also been newly established.
There have been many voices wishing for an eat-in area, saying “I want to use it while waiting for the Shinkansen or train.”
The tables in the eat-in area are made of cypress from Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture, and the chairs are from the furniture manufacturer Teori located in Mabi-cho.
The furniture from Niimi City and Mabi-cho was chosen with the thought of “I want to contribute even a little to the land that suffered from flooding.”
The artworks displayed on the wall are by the ceramic artist Arika Hara, who resides in Mabi-cho, Kurashiki City.
The tables, chairs, and Hara's ceramics perfectly match the shop's gentle atmosphere, making it wonderful.
Fresh cakes from La Biche, loaded with seasonal fruits
The fresh cakes, which are said to be “there are always new cakes when you visit the shop, so you never get bored and want to come back,” are made with plenty of local fruits.
There are 20 to 25 types, with about 5 or 6 seasonal cakes available.
Nishio, the owner patissier, comes from a family that operated a strawberry farm.
While helping to supply strawberries to cake shops, he was encouraged by his mother to pursue a career as a patissier.
“I want each customer to cherish the cakes they find delicious, so I make everything without cutting corners.”
Nishio says he does not want to have a number one popular cake. He wants to rely on his own taste and find his favorites.
There are even regular customers who only buy one type of cake consistently.
I found a snack that caught my attention! The seasonal recommendation "Amazake Ginger" for 400 yen (tax included).
It uses amazake from Tanaka Sake Brewery in Miyagi Prefecture and ginger syrup from Okayama Prefecture, but what kind of jelly is it?
The seasonal tart is "Rishiri Island Ripe Peach Pine Tart" for 450 yen (tax included), and next to it is "Takane Island Mandarin Jelly" for 400 yen (tax included).
There are many fruits in Okayama Prefecture, so you might wonder, "Why Rishiri Island?" and "Where is Takane Island?"
In fact, the peach pine from Rishiri Island, amazake, and mandarin juice are made from products from manufacturers that have excess stock due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It seems that Mr. Nishio himself orders through a Facebook mutual aid page and supports the making of cakes.
Of course, there are also melons from Ashimori in Okayama Prefecture! The juicy Ashimori melon is lavishly decorated.
Gift sets are abundant, baked goods and seasonal products
Next to the showcase, there is a refrigerated space labeled "Fresh Bousse".
The fresh bousse comes in four varieties: Tamashima White Peach, Setouchi Lemon, Uji Matcha, Takahashi Pione.
It is a special fresh bousse from La Biche, with a fluffy dough filled with fresh cream.
With the thought of creating "confectionery representative of Tamashima", a new product has been made: "Matcha Butter Sand" for 300 yen (tax included).
It is a product typical of "Tamashima, the town of tea," with Uji matcha cream and roasted black soybeans from Okayama Prefecture sandwiched in between.
There are also many individually sold baked goods! It seems there are always 20 to 30 types of baked goods available.
Cookies that are just the right size for a gift.
Gift sets are also abundant. The boxed sets range from about 1,500 yen to 5,000 yen, which is nice to see a variety of prices.
The central table of the store features seasonal gift sets. On the day of the interview, it was full of customers buying gifts for the upcoming Mother's Day and Father's Day.
Next to the register, cute La Biche badges are on sale.
Each badge is 100 yen (tax included), and all proceeds will be donated to Mabi Cleaning, a volunteer group that helped clean photos affected by the July 2018 heavy rain disaster.
Satisfying in both appearance and taste! Carefully crafted La Biche cakes
Since I was here, I decided to try the cake that caught my attention. This is the "Rishiri Island Peach Pine Tart" for 450 yen (tax included).
The crunchy tart crust is filled with plenty of juicy peach pine!
The fully ripened pine, ripened while still on the tree, is surprisingly sweet, and I have never tasted such delicious pineapple before. The custard, which is not overly sweet, pairs wonderfully.
The lovely orange and white color combination is the "Takane Island Mandarin Jelly" for 400 yen (tax included).
This refreshing jelly is made with 100% mandarin juice from Nagahata Farm on Takane Island in Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture.
The flavor of the mandarin is rich! With a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, it disappeared in no time.
This is the pure white jelly "Amazake Ginger". This was the snack I was particularly interested in.
The gentle and mild flavor of amazake, combined with the sharp kick of ginger... What a delicious jelly this is.
This dessert fully brings out the charm of amazake, offering a unique taste that is unlike any other.
Finally, we have the kids' favorite "Mont Blanc" for 400 yen (tax included).
It is generously filled with a gentle and rounded chestnut paste! Although it is quite large, you can easily finish it.
Mr. Nishio, the owner of Patisserie La Biche, continues to provide support during the July 2018 heavy rain disaster.
I interviewed him mainly about the events during the disaster and his subsequent volunteer activities.
Data of Patisserie La Biche
| Name | Patisserie La Biche |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-23-111 Shin-Kurashiki Station, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-526-8801 |
| Parking | Available Shared parking for 8 cars in the Shin-Kurashiki Station redevelopment building |
| Business Hours | 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM |
| Regular Holiday | Wednesday |
| Payment Method |
|
| Reservation | Available |
| Seats | 10 seats, Tables: 4×1, 2×3 |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
| Website | La Biche: Facebook |
