Gatineau

Gatineau is a French patisserie and bakery on Banbury Road in Summertown, Oxford, opened in 2007 by Herve Gatineau, a pastry chef trained in Toulouse. Cakes, breads, chocolates and pastries are made on the premises, with flour, butter, cream and chocolate sourced from France to keep recipes close to their Toulouse originals, while fruit and vegetables are bought locally where possible. The counter runs from croissants and pain au chocolat through to croquembouche towers and macaron displays made to order for weddings and other events. It trades from a single Summertown shopfront rather than a chain of branches, and has kept the same French-trained ownership since opening. The shop opens early, from 7am on weekdays, and slightly later on Sundays.