First Look: L’épi Artisan Bakery

Posted on 16 December, 2022

Chisholm is the latest Canberra suburb to be blessed with the arrival of baked goods that are anything but ordinary. Meet L’épi Artisan Bakery.

For southsiders, Christmas has come early with a very special new arrival,  L’épi Artisan Bakery, and beyond the sage green doors there are some hard questions being asked. Mainly: Cinnamon Bun or Boysenberry Danish?

It’s a question for the ages and one that’s a pleasure to ponder as you peruse the pastry cabinet (although I’m informed that the Danishes tend to sell out by midday, which sways me somewhat).

While L’épi has only just opened its doors, there’s already an easy charm about this bakery café, with inside tables welcoming locals for an ONA coffee as they enjoy their croissant, pastel de nata, hot pie or delicate fruit tart.

Freshly baked bread (the baguettes! Oh, the baguettes!) line the walls behind the counter while a selection of local and international produce has been curated into a little shopping and gifting area along the front wall, where treats like Italian gluten-free pasta, Spanish sardines and Italian small-batch olive oil sit alongside ONA Coffee beans and sauces from Walsh’s Outback Kitchen. Perfect timing for Christmas—oh and don’t forget to pick up some sweetly-wrapped mince pies from the front counter.

L’épi’s instant attraction as a neighbourhood hangout is easy to understand and there’s a steady stream of people popping by in the short time I’m there. Clearly locals are chuffed that Chisholm has joined the ranks of Canberra suburbs with their own sourdough spot.

Named after the French word for ‘ear of wheat’ (as in the ear of wheat that is used to bake bread), head baker Ignace Diompy trained as a baker and pastry chef in his native France before moving to Canberra a few years ago. For him, L’épi is a chance to provide exactly what the local community needs.

“Our croissants are very traditional…but sourdough is more complex and there are so many versions you can do,” he explains. “I find it more interesting and more of a challenge and it’s all about what form of sourdough our customers will want and making that happen.”

Growing up in France, Ignace says it was slightly daunting to begin working with bread given France’s incredibly high standards and rigorous training process. However, once he was in the industry, his love of baking began to blossom.

“Once you stay with it and the more you master it, the more you become passionate about it. It’s all about patience and the learning process to achieve great products.”

“My hope is that we connect with our community, see what they like and make sure we keep things interesting. We’re always looking to diversify our products in order to attract as many locals as possible—kids, families, coffee lovers and people who are gluten-free.”

After we finish chatting, Ignace heads back to L’épi’s commercial bakery space a stone’s throw away in Hume where the magic happens while I go back to the pastry cabinet for that Cinnamon Bun. After all, ‘tis the season for giving, right?

Photography: Ben Calvert