French crepes to go in Christchurch

Press, 25 January 1988, Page 16

French crepes to go in Christchurch

By

MAVIS AIREY

Crepes — those luscious big pancakes the French fill with just about anything and sell piping hot from streetside kiosks — have arrived in Christchurch. Restaurants may have been selling their versions of crepes for years, but

these are the real thing, insists the man behind La Crepemobile, Bill Wallace. A manufacturer of gourmet mustards, he spent some time in Europe and was impressed by the crepe operations there. The idea of introducing crepes to New Zealand lay in the back of his mind, along with the remembrance of the character mobile eateries can give to city centres, until a conversation with a Frenchman caused the Crepemobile idea to "click into place.”

He had a caravan purpose-built and managed to get a pair of genuine, Breton cast-iron crepe pans and Christ-, church City Council permission to park the caravan in the High Street Mall on weekdays, and at the Arts Centre at the week-end.

For the past six weeks, City and Guilds-trained chef, Lucy Nelson, has

been tempting tourists and educating New Zealanders to the delights of crepes filled with brandy and sugar, kiwifruit and honey, boysenberries and yoghurt or savoury ham and cheese. True, kiwifruit and boysenberries are not classic French fillings but Bill Wallace likes the idea of promoting New Zealand specialities with tourists. While many Kiwis still prefer the traditional lemon juice and sugar, kiwifruit crepes are hot favourites with the Japanese, he says. Also popular are the unfilled take-home packs of crepes ready to put in the freezer.

All that Is missing is a few tables and chairs with colourful sunshades to add a Continental touch and get over people's reluctance to prop up the counter while eating.

Bill Wallace is contemplating approaching the Council about providing seating.