Today we’d like to introduce you to Gael Fierro de Merode.
Gael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Gaël (pronounce Gay-L, how ironic). I was born in Paris and decided, out of the blue, to move to Hollywood in 2017. I sold my company (a Paris-based health technology firm), and ever since have been very much in love with California. It has been a wild adventure for me, but I’m so happy to be here!
After I arrived in Los Angeles, I started writing a movie which was purchased and produced by Amazon. It was a wonderful adventure, and premiered in Paris in 2022.
I have always liked to cook. My arrival in the United States reinforced this passion in several ways. First, though it may be silly, I always have this strange feeling of representing France when I prepare something for my American friends. Every time I break an egg I feel like I’m performing a diplomatic act of the utmost importance. In addition, it must be said that I am more gifted in pastry than in foreign languages. And when I arrived, my English was terrible. I quickly realized that cooking was a great way to communicate with my American friends.
So I started offering cannelés to everyone, and the idea of starting this small business gradually became a reality. Finally, it is a very simple activity that is generous, tasty, and benevolent. In a world that is becoming more and more complex and, it must be said, sometimes a little worrying, the idea of pleasing others by baking something with my own hands delights me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve been very surprised by the heaviness and complexity of administrative procedures in the United States. Between city, county, state, and federal regulations, it’s really, really hard for a foreigner to start a business without fear of doing something illegal or improper. In Europe, we have a very idealized image of the business in America. Everything is supposed to be simple, easy and quick, but looking back I find the paperwork and administrative processes are easier to navigate in France.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Cannelé is a French pastry flavored with vanilla. It has a soft, tender center and a dark, thick caramelized crust. Traditionally baked in a small, cylindrical copper mold, each cannelé is up to two inches in height with a depression at the top.
A specialty of the southwest region of France, Cannelés can be consumed for breakfast, as snacks, or as a high-end traditional French dessert. They can be paired with red wine, ice cream, or whipped cream, but they’re delicious enough to be devoured as is. I offer the traditional vanilla recipe all year round, and I offer a different specialty every three months. I started with orange blossom, rose, pumpkin spice, and I will offer matcha at the beginning of next year.
Cannelés are freshly baked on demand and can be picked up or delivered same day around Hollywood. Doing the delivery is really the fun part for me because I love driving around in this city I love so much, and every customer is a different adventure, it’s always super fun for me to get to know them.
It’s a really fun recipe for me because it’s totally new to Americans. And I love helping them discover our culture and our gastronomy. Oh, and I also offer gluten-free cannelés. So many people asked for them. It took me weeks to perfect the recipe but I’m super happy with the result.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
At the risk of disappointing you, I am not very inclined to take risks. I’m not one of those people who thinks that living risky is worth anything. For me, the big risk was probably moving to California. It is true that thinking about it now, I realize how much this project terrified me. But I was also very much in love with LA, so things kind of stuck with me. Be that as it may, this canelés business didn’t really represent a risk for me. I invested very little, if anything, except a little time to put everything in place.
Pricing:
- 49 dollars for 12 piece box
- 29 dollars for 6 piece box
Contact Info:
- Website: https://CanneLA.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecannela/
