About Cecile

  Ethics

  History

Peace Love and Crepes with canapés for catering

Bonjour!

I’m Cécile and I’ve been in Australia for 14 years now. Came as a backpacker, fell in love with the country and a man and got blessed by a beautiful soul whom chosen me as a mother.

I was offered to start this business by a friend whom decided to go his way pretty much at the beginning, leaving me with a new baby to raise.

There was born Peace Love and Crepes, 4 years ago, at the 1st Mullumbimby Community Garden’s Festival!

My main focus has always been to be in harmony with my beliefs which are:
– respecting nature in using only spray-free/organic/local produce/minimising packaging and controlling waste by reusing/recycling/composting
– supporting my community in supporting local farmers/keeping affordable prices/working with local festivals and markets

Peace Love and Crêpes then offers traditional french gluten free sweet and savoury crepes in markets, festivals and private events in the Rainbow Region, Byron, Mullum and around.. can push it to Brisy if I go crazy .

Crêpes are made from activated buckwheat kernels (soaked overnight in water) and water only which makes them totally Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Vegan. Vegetarian and Vegan options as well as Meat eaters are available. I grew up in south east of France, and as a kid, we had crêpes every Sunday at home with my Mum, who was from Brittany (north west) where crepes are originated. And my favourite game was writing my name with the ribbon-like batter in the mixing bowl and my Mum wiggling her bum while beating the batter in front of the kitchen sink. I love food, sharing it, sitting at table with friends and family and enjoying a meal, talking and laughing for hours…….I’m also passionate about saving this planet for our next generation.

At Peace Love and Crepes, we have ethics !

Being conscious about protecting our planet has been part of my life since a very early age and it became my mission since I am a mother.

I definitely want my son to carry on his life in the least contaminated place, and to have a safe environment to create his own family.

Therefor, reducing in and outside food chemicals (like gas emission from transporting it, pesticides to grow it, packaging) or protecting human and animal rights (by avoiding strictly any sorts of mining, slavery, animal welfare, forest destruction leading to animal death or extinction) are priorities in choosing my produce. In order to achieve this goal, I start with supporting local farmers growing organic or spray-free/hormone/antibiotic free produce.

When not available locally, I extend my search further and aim for organic choice, and fair-trade if outside Australia. So, spinach are certified Australian organic produce. Buckwheat kernels are certified organic. Raw sugar, cacao powder and butter as well as desiccated coconut, are organic and fair-trade.

I try to find very competitive prices to keep very honest and affordable prices on the menu. I believe healthy food needs to be accessible to everyone. I’m all about competition when talking business. I believe that more competition the better, as bad food won’t do well if someone else makes better food next door.. so everyone’s trying their best and only quality remains.

So, honey, berries, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, olive oil, lemons, cheese, eggs, milk and ham are all from the area (within 80kms). At the moment, our fresh produce served on all markets, festivals and private functions (apart from South Golden farmer’s market) come from:

Spinach: cert. org. south Australia

Tomatoes: Byron Bay “Coopers Shoot” or “Red Jumping Ants”

Olives and Olive oil: Cert. Org. NSW/Grumpy Grandma Olives

Mushrooms: Evan’s Head “Richmond spray free mushrooms”

Bananas: Cert. Org. Mullum farmer’s market

Lettuces: Mullum/New Brighton’s farmer’s markets

Lemons: Mullumbimby – spray free

Honey: Brunswick Heads, Wilfrid

Berries: Mullum/New Brighton’s farmer’s markets

Cheese: Lismore Nimbin/Norco from local dairy farms

Eggs: Possum Creek / Ballina

Ham: Bangalow Free range/nitrate free/hormone free/antibiotic free

carte de France, BretagneCrepe History

The word crêpe is French for pancake and is derived from the Latin crispus meaning “curled”. Crêpes originated in Brittany (Bretagne), in the northwest region of France, which lies between the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south.  Crêpes were originally called galettes, meaning flat cakes. The French pronunciation of both words is with a short e, as in bed.

Around the 12th century buckwheat was introduced in Brittany from the east.  Buckwheat thrived on the desolate and rocky Breton moors and is called “sarrasin” or “blé noir” (black wheat) due to the dark specs that are often found in it.  Buckwheat is one of the plants of the polygonaceae family, which also includes rhubarb and sorrel.  It is high in fiber and is an excellent plant source of easily digestive protein and contains all eight essential amino acids.  Another benefit is that it is gluten free. Buckwheat crêpes are often called “galettes”.

White flour crêpes appeared only at the turn of the 20th century when white wheat flour which formerly had been as expensive as sugar, honey or meat, became affordable.  White flour crêpes are as thin as buckwheat crêpes but softer as a result of the eggs, milk, and butter used to make them.

Crêpe making has evolved from being cooked on large cast-iron hot plates heated over a wood fire in a fireplace to hot plates that are now gas or electric heated. The batter is spread with a tool known as a rozel and flipped with a spatula.  In Brittany, crêpes and galettes are traditionally served with cider.

On February 2 crêpes are offered in France on the  holiday known as Fête de la Chandeleur, Fête de la Lumière, or “jour des crêpes”.  Not only do the French eat a lot of crêpes on this day, but they also do a bit of fortune telling while making them. It is traditional to hold a coin in your writing hand and a crêpe pan in the other, and flip the crêpe into the air.  If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year.

Crêpes are popular not only throughout France but elsewhere in Europe where the pancakes go by other names and adaptations, including Italian crespelle, Hungarian palacsintas, Jewish blintzes, Scandinavian plattars, Russian blini, and Greek kreps.

Savored for centuries, crêpes are celebrating a worldwide revival today and for good reason.  Come, let us introduce you to our hand-crafted sweet and savory delights!