Chef Didier Derouet: The Man Behind the Famous Croissants in Baguio
You may have heard of the long lines for croissants made the authentic French way at a quiet corner in Baguio, accessible just as you come up (or before you go back down to the lowlands). That's L’Atelier du Grain by Chef Didier Derouet, who has drawn many food aficionados and a faithful following with the scent of his baked creations wafting through the air.
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The famous croissants of L'Atelier Du Grain
Starting Young
Derouet started his journey as a chef when he apprenticed at 14 years old, learning skills on the intricacies of transforming raw ingredients into delectable baked creations.
"It wasn’t anything like people know today," he said in an interview with Esquire Philippines. "Back in those days, there wasn’t much schooling involved, it was more hands-on."
Looking for some adventure and armed with very few English words, he embarked on a career in the U.S. at the age of 20.
Chef Didier Derouet
"It was a major culture shock!" he confessed. But what followed was a career in both the East and West Coast and some places in between in five-star hotels and restaurants for 21 years.
Stints in various places in Morocco and Bahrain followed. In the process, he learned from collaborations with different chefs.
Partly thanks to his Fipina wife, he explored opportunities in the Philippines, opening such esteemed establishments as the Raffles and Fairmont Hotels, and Novotel as executive pastry chef in Manila. But, yearning for a break, they decided to go up to Baguio, lured by the nippy weather and laidback atmosphere. "I was over the high-intensity work of 20 years spent in the hotel industry."
Off to Baguio
In the Summer Capital of the Philippines, he started a small private dining operation, where he treated Baguio locals and tourists to his unique menu of world cuisine. In the process, he learned that the city has a large number of bakers.
So, in 2016, he started holding a workshop on breadmaking. It was a simple operation, but the participants had access to state-of-the-art baking equipment on which they could learn to make a wide variety of bread, forming and fashioning it, then watching it rise to retrieve them hot from the oven. Soon, there was a clamor for workshops on other cooking and baking methods, and eventually, Derouet was teaching 20 different subjects to full capacity in his huge kitchen in Loakan.
Chef Didier Derouet's workshop on breadmaking
"I love teaching people who are receptive and passionate," he said, even as he was kept busy with three workshops each week. The retreat in Baguio had turned into a bustling enterprise. "The next generation needs to be ready and be even better equipped. I have worked on four continents, so I have a diverse understanding and experience of food. It’s only fair to pass on what I have learned."
It is his passion to pass on what he has learned that distinguishes him in the eyes of the Baguio restaurant scene. It’s no secret that the tense environment that we see in reality shows about kitchens reflects real life.
"You always learn by teaching because you have to think about what you have taken for granted. And then, you realize that maybe if I do this, that instead… It stimulates your creative mind," he said with excitement.
In 2019, he met Cristina and Jackson So, Baguio entrepreneurs, with whom he had exploratory discussions about collaborating on a unique concept to help elevate the dining scene in the mountain city.
But after ushering many aspiring (and hobbyist) cooks in Baguio, Derouet was forced to abruptly end his mentoring due to the lockdowns imposed as the COVID-19 pandemic spread.
Instead, he shifted to catering through food deliveries. Eventually, a colleague invited him to collaborate on a venture in Manila, preparing meals for clients with special dietary concerns. But after the pandemic, he came back to Baguio.
New Sweet Chapter
The period after the pandemic was vastly in contrast to how things were before. In particular, for Derouet, there was a stark difference in the receptiveness of the Baguio market (whether residents or tourists) to try new food establishments, even at higher price points.
The reasons? The global pandemic changed people’s perspective about valuing the present—and that includes indulging in good food. Also, in that period, former students—who would scrimp and save their meager allowances—had become professionals, earning higher incomes, thanks to outsourcing industries in Baguio. They, therefore, have more buying power and different ways of thinking and spending habits than the market just a few years ago.
So Derouet opened L’Atelier du Grain in February 2024. The name can be translated to: "The Grain Workshop," which does not only describe Derouet's generous spirit toward open sharing and collaboration but also the setup, where you can observe, through the glass, how the baked goods are made in the kitchen.
Just another busy Sunday at L'Atelier Du Grain
Boxed takeaways
"We bring to the general public the same quality and consistency that I did in five-star restaurants but at a more affordable price point," he assured.
Now, this writer has only been to France once but can attest that the croissant, baguette, and pain au chocolat taste just as they do in the country that made them popular. After all, Derouet and his crew start with the finest ingredients. In this case, real, creamy butter. No scrimping here!
He also collaborates with the Sos for their restaurant, Gallery by Witchcraft. During the recently concluded Ibagiw Festival’s Gastro x Art, inspired by the Cordillera region’s ingredients, he created the Ube Cheesecake Tart (a butter coconut shell cradling fresh ube cheesecake), Rhubarb Cheesecake Passionfruit Tart (rhubarb cheesecake nestled in a Sagada orange cookie crust and topped with a passionfruit glaze), and Benguet Cappuccino Tart (super-infusing Arabica coffee into the crust and custard).
Ube Cheesecake Tart
What's Next for Chef Didier Derouet
"We realized that this is a model that we can duplicate in other nearby markets," Derouet said. Already, residents of La Union, Pangasinan, and Pampanga make regular trips to take boxes of his baked goods home.
Expansion plans are proceeding, with more branches in Baguio as well as in La Union and another further South (a secret for now!) in the works. They are building a commissary to centralize the production of dough and send it to different areas without compromising on quality.
He admitted that bigger chains have offered to carry his brand to more urban centers. But, "It is more interesting to bring this product [the croissant and other baked goods] where they don’t have access yet," he said.
He also has a vision of holding chef-tasting menus at Gallery by Witchcraft in the future.
Though he is over the frenzied pace of upscale markets—he would love to explore more intimate and smaller concepts where he can unleash his creativity—he is not slowing down, no, monsieur.
"I have so much energy, I walk five kilometers a day!" He says, excited.
"I’m nowhere near finished. I always want to create, and I have this chance to try making different things. I always try to push boundaries," the world-class and intrepid chef said. But where is home?
"Home is where I hang my hat," he said. "For now, it’s in Baguio."
L’Atelier du Grain is at 37 Military Cut-off Road, Baguio City. It is open from Wednesday to Monday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
