La Ficelle is a French bakery in Paraparaumu and Raumati Village, focused on good food made fresh every day - from buttery croissants to proper sourdough and classic pâtisserie. The bakery has recently expanded its team, brought in new talent, and refined its recipes and systems to lift quality across everything it makes.
Owner Sylvain rebuilt the business after it previously operated under the Louis Patisserie name, bringing together an experienced team including Jean-Louis and Clara, who once ran the iconic Bordeaux Bakery, and chefs Maël and Sylvain, who bring years of international culinary experience straight from France. Xana, who moved to New Zealand from Mozambique, adds flair as a cake decorator, while Justine, a trained physio from New Caledonia, works as the bakery's sandwich artist. Julie runs the Raumati shop and weekend markets, and also runs her own crêpe cart with her husband.
Everything at La Ficelle is made from scratch daily, with a focus on real sourdough, buttery croissants, classic pâtisserie and seasonal specialties. The bakery welcomes customers every day except Tuesdays.
La Ficelle is a local French bakery serving Paraparaumu and Raumati Village, built around a simple promise: good food, made fresh every day. From buttery croissants to proper sourdough and classic pâtisserie, everything is made from scratch in-house.
La Ficelle's story is one of a genuine turnaround. After the business had run into difficulty under the previous Louis Patisserie name, owner Sylvain made radical changes - rebuilding the team, reshaping the offer, and turning things around from the ground up. That rebuild brought together Jean-Louis and Clara, who once ran the iconic Bordeaux Bakery, to help guide the business.
The kitchen is led by chefs Maël and Sylvain, both bringing years of international culinary experience straight from France. Xana, who moved to New Zealand with her family from Mozambique, adds her own flair to the bakery through her background as a cake decorator. Justine, a trained physio originally from New Caledonia, has found a second calling as the bakery's sandwich artist.
On the front of house side, Julie is the friendly face at the Raumati shop and weekend markets, and runs her own crêpe cart with her husband outside of her work at La Ficelle. Lisa, who previously owned the Raumati store before moving to France, was part of the transition team that helped the bakery through its rebuild.
La Ficelle's range includes award winning almond croissants, classic butter croissants, and traditional cannelé, alongside a selection of large cookies including chocolate chip, white chocolate chip, and a lemon curd and Italian meringue cookie. Everything reflects the bakery's focus on quality, freshness and proper technique.
Beyond the pastry case, the bakery takes pride in its real sourdough bread and classic pâtisserie, alongside seasonal specialties that change throughout the year. The focus throughout is on doing things properly - nothing shortcut, everything made from scratch.
La Ficelle's chefs and front-of-house team welcome customers every day except Tuesdays. Whether you're after a morning croissant, a loaf of sourdough, or a box of cookies to share, there's a reason to stop by most days of the week.
With a rebuilt team of genuinely skilled bakers and pastry chefs, a focus on scratch-made French baking, and a story of real turnaround behind it, La Ficelle has become a destination bakery for Paraparaumu and Raumati Village locals.