Bertrand Hofman spent close to sixteen years in French kitchens, among them Joël Robuchon’s two star dining room in Monaco, before moving to Australia as a sponsored chef. The pandemic and the birth of his first son redirected him towards pastry. In 2020 he walked past a bankrupt bakery in Subiaco, called centre management, and opened Layers with his wife. Production expanded after two years, and a second expansion, combining three shopfronts into a single larger bakery, is now underway. The counter runs to handcrafted French pastries, sourdough, cakes and pies, with a new seasonal special each month.
Sixteen years in Michelin kitchens in France, including Robuchon in Monaco. What did that work teach you that you still use every morning at Layers, and what did you have to unlearn?
The biggest thing I learned was consistency and technique. Every product should be as good as it can be, every single day, and that’s something I still bring into Layers. What I had to unlearn was being too strict. In Michelin kitchens you can be very demanding, but running your own business taught me that building a happy team is just as important as making great food.
You’ve said COVID and the arrival of your first son pushed you towards pastry and baking. What was it about that shift that felt right at the time?
I wanted a better balance for my family. I loved being a chef, but the restaurant hours were tough. Baking gave me the chance to still work hard, but be home for dinner, put my kids to bed, and sometimes even pick them up from school. That was gold to me. It definitely wasn’t easy, it took about two years of really hard work, but it was the right decision. I also loved that sourdough and croissants were becoming so popular during COVID, and I wanted to be part of that in my own way.
You walked past an empty bakery in Subiaco in 2020 and rang centre management. Talk us through the days between that walk and signing the lease.
It all happened pretty quickly. I’d walked past that shop so many times and always felt like something was meant to happen there. Before COVID I’d even looked at buying it, but I put everything on hold when the pandemic started. Then one day I saw it sitting empty after the previous business closed, and I knew I had to make a move. Three months later, Layers Bakery was open.
French technique with an Australian twist is easy to say and harder to do. Give us a specific example, a pastry on the counter now, where you can point to both.
French technique is something I’ve learned over many years, but I always enjoy combining it with local Australian ingredients and ideas. It’s hard to pick just one, because that’s what we do every month with our specials. The Cube Crème Brûlée Croissant was one that really took off, we had people lining up for nearly an hour, and it became a permanent item. More recently we made a truffle potato gratin Danish with Manjimup truffle and melted raclette cheese. We also have our cinnamon croissant roll, which is our French take on a classic cinnamon scroll.
The monthly seasonal specials have become a signature. How far ahead do you plan them, and where do the ideas usually start, with a producer, an ingredient, or a technique you want to try?
It usually starts with what’s in season and what’s available from local producers. We normally plan about a month ahead, but things change all the time. My team and I are always trying new flavours, shapes and techniques, so sometimes the best ideas come together at the last minute.
What is the hardest thing you make, and would most customers know it?
Definitely the croissants. We don’t use improvers, artificial ingredients or dough conditioners, so making the same perfect croissant every day is incredibly difficult. As chefs often say, you can judge a chef by a simple omelette. I’d say you can judge a bakery by its croissants. Most customers probably don’t realise how much detail, consistency and skill goes into making them every single day.
You’re about to combine three shopfronts into one. What can you do in the new space that you can’t do now?
We’ll have a much bigger production area and a better front of house, so customers can see all of our products more easily. It also gives us the opportunity to start making chocolates, bonbons and chocolate bars, using premium ingredients like Valrhona chocolate and local produce. It’s a really exciting new chapter for us.
Ten years from now, what do you want people in Perth to associate with the name Layers?
I hope people think of Layers as their local bakery, one that makes great quality food and creates good memories. Whether it’s a birthday cake, a wedding cake, or just a croissant and coffee on a Saturday morning, I want people to remember sharing those moments with family and friends. If our food becomes part of those memories, that’s something I’m really proud of.
Shop 10/29 Station St, Subiaco WA 6008
Tuesday – Saturday: 7am – 2.30pm
Sunday: 8am – 2.30pm
Monday: Closed