The global spread of the novel coronavirus has drastically changed daily life.
Wearing a mask all the time is suffocating, and it’s hard to feel cheerful when you can’t easily go outside.
Continuing to live with a tense mind is impossible, and a moment of rest is necessary.
The "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche" is a small market event that offers a modest time for interaction where you can stop by for a bit.
On June 5, 2021 (Saturday), the "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche - Tea, Goods, and Sweets -" was held at the Western-style confectionery shop "Patisserie Le Vert" located in Hiroe, Kurashiki City.
I stopped by the small market event and enjoyed some delicious sweets.
I also spoke with the organizer Atelier sora design’s Nishiyama Maki about the details of the event.
I will introduce the atmosphere of the event and the background of the "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche."
About "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche - Tea, Goods, and Sweets -"
Overview of "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche - Tea, Goods, and Sweets -"
The "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche - Tea, Goods, and Sweets -" was held on June 5, 2021.
The location was the store of the Western-style confectionery shop "Patisserie Le Vert" in Hiroe, Kurashiki City.
So far, the "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche," which has been held in Okayama City and Kurashiki City, is regularly held at Patisserie Le Vert every two months.
Since May 2022, Patisserie Le Vert has been held as "Midori no Ichi" once a month.
This was the sixth time it was held at Patisserie Le Vert.
While continuing to live under restrictions on going out, we are holding this modest market event with the hope that it will help ease the tense atmosphere.
For the enjoyment of local people
The event on June 5, 2021, was held on a smaller scale.
Four stores participated: a confectionery shop, a coffee shop, a curry shop, and a woodworking goods shop.
Despite being small in scale, the stores were enough to fully enjoy the market event.
When you hear "market event," you might imagine a lively place with stalls lined up and many people gathered, but the "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche" provides a place where you can stop by for a bit by being a small-scale event.
Products were available for takeout only.
Eating and drinking inside the venue was not allowed, and there were no chairs provided to shorten the stay time.
Of course, hand sanitization was required before entry, and entry was limited to two groups.
Participating stores in "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche - Tea, Goods, and Sweets -"
The following four stores participated in the "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche - Tea, Goods, and Sweets -":
| Store Name | Products Offered |
|---|---|
| Sorairo Cafe | Sale of coffee and tea |
| Patisserie Le Vert | Sale of Western sweets |
| Naish Curry | Sale of hamburger curry |
| ATELIER Le cache-cache | Sale of woodworking goods and succulents |
The atmosphere of "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche - Tea, Goods, and Sweets -"
I visited the "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche - Tea, Goods, and Sweets -" and enjoyed Western sweets and curry.
Here are some of the products offered at each store.
Patisserie Le Vert
At the Western confectionery shop Patisserie Le Vert, a wide variety of Western sweets such as cakes, tarts, and cream puffs are sold.
I ordered crème brûlée and a cream puff.
The crème brûlée is prepared by placing sugar on top of the custard cream and burning it with a torch right after ordering.
The burnt sugar cools down and hardens after a while, creating a pleasant sound when tapped with a spoon.
When you hit the hardened sugar slab with a spoon, it breaks, revealing the custard cream inside.
The texture of the hard sugar slab mixed with the soft custard cream is the essence of crème brûlée.
The cream puff was also filled with custard cream after ordering.
The sight of the custard cream being injected made my heart race.
When I took a bite of the cream puff filled to the brim with custard cream, I felt completely happy in both my heart and stomach.
Sorairo Cafe
Sorairo Cafe is operated by the organizer Nishiyama Maki, and it sells coffee, tea, and juice.
I ordered coffee to go with the crème brûlée and cream puff.
The coffee had a moderate bitterness and a mellow aftertaste.
It was the perfect coffee to pair with the sweet custard cream in the brûlée and cream puff.
Naish Curry
Naish Curry, which has its main store in Kurashiki City, also participated.
They were selling hamburger curry.
The curry was not too spicy, not too sweet, and had a mild flavor, topped with a hamburger that was soft enough to break apart with a spoon.
I recommend eating the hamburger with the curry sauce and rice together.
ATELIER Le cache-cache
ATELIER Le cache-cache offers handmade woodworking goods and succulents.
Located in Niimi City, ATELIER Le cache-cache produces adorable models for children to play with.
These models are palm-sized and intricately made to resemble pots, frying pans, refrigerators, washing machines, and more.
What "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche" wants to deliver
The organizer of the "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche," Atelier sora design’s Nishiyama Maki, shared details about the event.
I will introduce the background of starting the market event and her thoughts on it.
What prompted you to start the "Taketaku TAKE OUT Marche"?
Nishiyama (no honorifics)
The first market event was held in March 2020, when the novel coronavirus began to spread globally.
While continuing to live under restrictions and unable to go out, I realized that just going to the supermarket calmed my mind.
Therefore, I planned a modest market event called Nokisaki Marche in the parking lot of the café I manage, so that people could stop by for a short time.
When I called for participants using social networking services, there was a great response.
Later, through introductions from visitors to the market event, I was encouraged to hold it in a vacant tenant space in Tsushima, Kita Ward, Okayama City, and it started in May 2020 as Tekuteku TAKE OUT Marche.
It has become a market event that, although small, attracts local residents, and it has been well received.
What is the background of the regular events at Patisserie Le Verre?
Nishiyama
I have been holding Tekuteku TAKE OUT Marche irregularly at multiple locations mainly in Okayama City.
While there were fans, I thought it would be difficult for people to attend events that are irregular in both date and location.
By holding it regularly, I wanted to create a place that would be easy for those who have become fans to visit.
Le Verre was a vendor at the first market event, Nokisaki Marche, in March 2020.
They operated a mobile sales-only Western confectionery shop and had closed their physical store in Hiroe, Kurashiki City.
So, I proposed to the owner of Le Verre to utilize the unused store.
At first, they seemed reluctant, but when they actually held the event, it was a great success.
Fans of Le Verre from when it was selling in a physical store came as if they had been waiting for it.
Since holding the Tekuteku TAKE OUT Marche at Le Verre's store in October 2020, it has been supported by fans and has reached its sixth event.
Why do you continue the market events?
Nishiyama
Even in the situation where the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading, restaurants are implementing flexible responses such as shortening their hours.
Many market events are making a binary decision on whether to hold or cancel, and I began to question whether it would be acceptable to respond flexibly according to the situation.
It is easy to cancel an event.
It might be acceptable to reduce the scale of the event, or to sell only takeout, and to change the content of the service flexibly.
I want to provide a small moment of respite to local residents, and that is why I continue the Tekuteku TAKE OUT Marche with creative adjustments according to the situation.
What kind of market event do you want to create?
Nishiyama
I do not want to monopolize the method of a small market event; rather, I want many people to know about it and to practice it.
The name Tekuteku TAKE OUT Marche embodies the idea of a market event that children can walk to easily.
I would be happy if a small event that brings peace of mind takes place in nearby locations and spreads to many communities.
Conclusion
Many people feel suffocated during the period of self-restraint.
I believe that preventing the spread of infection must be a priority, but it is difficult to live completely without interactions with others.
Instead of just choosing to stop to prevent the spread of infection, I think it is also acceptable to continue events while making adjustments.
I, too, was able to refresh my mind by enjoying the Western sweets I took out.
Tekuteku TAKE OUT Marche - Tea, Goods, and Sweets Data
| Name | Tekuteku TAKE OUT Marche - Tea, Goods, and Sweets |
|---|---|
| Date | Irregularly held At "Le Verre," it will be held once a month as "Midori no Ichi" starting in May 2022 |
| Location | Mobile Marche |
| Website | Atelier sora design (Instagram) |
