Dreams of Sugarplums, Chocolate and Crepes

Constance Menzies remembers the Christmases of her childhood as lovely and lavish. “Our holidays were rich,” even if her family was not, she said.

Her parents gave her and her two sisters clothes, perfume and Bernard Callebaut chocolate. The well-known chocolatier is someone Menzies now connects with when she travels. Travel is one of the biggest sources of inspiration for her shop, Chocolatier Constance Popp, as she strives to be ahead of the trends and spark her imagination to bring unique offerings to Winnipeg.

The shop’s yule logs are a specialty that you can only get this time of year, and they are showstoppers, said Menzies. As they take time to bake and decorate, the store’s staff can only make a limited number. Making everything at the shop requires organization, skill and impeccable timing.

Menzies is proud of how she has grown the business over the years, including recently purchasing the building the shop is in to open up space for art, classes and yoga and belly dancing instruction. Earlier this season she added a new treat to the shop’s offering, crepes from Ker Breizh.

Ketty and Yvonnick have moved from their summer spot in a kiosk on the Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge to the chocolate shop. The sweet and savoury crepes include those made with buckwheat, Breton-style. Customers can watch as they make the crepes, and take a seat at the café tables topped with black-and-white striped table runners. Ker means place in Breton, like home, said Yvonnick.  And Breizh means Brittany, so the creperie is their own home sweet home, he said.

All photos by Claudine Gervais