What could be nicer while we’re spending so much time at home than filling the space with the aroma of delicious baked goodies from France? What better way to start your day than with a freshly baked croissant or Viennese pastry? We spoke with the team from Bon Chef HK to find out how we can make this tantalising prospect a reality.
Give us some background to Bon Chef HK.
It’s a new collaboration between two of our food service industry stalwarts in Hong Kong: FB Solution and Exclusive Foods. For more than 20 years, we’ve supplied the city’s renowned hotels, restaurants, cafes, bakeries and caterers with frozen imported high-end pastries, bread and other delicacies from France and beyond.
At the beginning of the year, as the pandemic hit Hong Kong, we started receiving more and more requests from private customers looking for good wholesale deals. Unfortunately, our products aren’t designed for individual freezers at home. For example, a box of our croissants contains 70 pieces; our mini croissants come in boxes of 255!
So we decided to start online sales and make our products available in smaller consumer packs for customers. We started small, focusing on just 10 items, then adding new items every few weeks. Today, there’s a large range, with everything from Viennese pastries and French tarts, to madeleines, cheesecakes from New Zealand, catering trays with finger food and more. We want to help customers produce and enjoy chef-quality goods in their own kitchen.
What are some of your best-sellers?
Our milk croissants and mini croissants are really popular, but we’re also receiving more orders for our breads and French tarts. We try our best to keep prices affordable, even if the products are very high-end to suit the demands of Hong Kong’s best chefs.
Are there vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free options available?
Yes, we have a small selection of gluten-free snacks and desserts, and a growing range of vegetarian items, and we also feature some unique plant-based meat options. We’re also in discussion to add some pescatarian items in the coming weeks, in order to meet customers’ needs.
Is it easy to prepare the products at home?
All our products include serving instructions on the front label, and you can see the same info on each product page on our website. We’ve created simple video tutorials, too (see bonchef.hk/video-instructions). There’s also a Facebook community page for customers to post photos, give feedback, and share tips and recipes.
How to get your next order
• Once you’ve ordered via the website (bonchef.hk), you’ll be contacted by phone or email so the Bon Chef team can arrange delivery on a suitable date, based on the following area schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: HK Island and Fo Tan to Tai Po Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: Kowloon and New Territories
• Delivery is between 9am and 6pm, and the driver will call 30 minutes prior to your delivery.
• Bon Chef delivers everywhere within Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Delivery to outlying islands (except Tung Chung in Lantau) and village houses isn’t currently available.
• There’s no minimum order, but the delivery fee of HK$100 is waived on orders of $400 or more.
Special offer!
Expat Living readers can enjoy 15 percent off by using the promo code “ExpatLiving15”. Valid on all products, for unlimited use until 30 September.
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This article first appeared in the Autumn 2020 issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.
