Our sense of smell has the power to unlock memories buried deep in our minds.
It could be a perfume your granny used to wear, sun cream that was slathered down your legs on holiday or even playdough that evokes an overwhelming wave of nostalgia.
For Emmanuel Lopez, owner of Chez Raphael, it’s the smell of freshly baked madeleines.
“I was probably three years old, it’s my first memory, the smell of the madeleines in the morning in my grandmother’s kitchen,” he remembers.
“When I am cooking them now it sometimes brings me to tears because it is such a special memory for me.
“I have an image of her with her apron on, smiling and taking madeleines out of the oven for my breakfast.”
A family affair
Emmanuel was born in Paris in 1971, but his family made a name for themselves in the culinary world long before.
“My great great granduncle was Raphael, he started the family business in 1883 with my great great grandfather,” explained Emmanuel.
“They were in French territory in Algeria and they were both bakers, so they had a shop where they sold pastries and deli items.”
Once France lost the territory, the family moved back to France, settling near Toulouse.
In the years since, multiple family members have stepped into their shoes – opening bakeries and restaurants in France, Australia and, thanks to Emmanuel, Laurencekirk.
Only Emmanuel’s bakery holds the name Chez Raphael, and this is down to a special connection he has with his ancestor.
“They say I am very like Raphael, we have common physical traits and he played music like me,” he said. “I think it’s important to remember where you came from.”
Road to Scotland
Emmanuel and his wife spent years working in London, going to markets and food festivals to get their French food into their stomachs.
In 2022, they decided to make the move to Scotland, a place Emmanuel had fond memories of from visiting as a teenager.
After struggling to find a place to stay, they settled in Laurencekirk and immediately knew they wanted to continue the family tradition there.
Emmanuel said: “We took a little kitchen and started cooking, we started to distribute in the local area to show people what we wanted to do.
“Locals started to talk to us, introducing us to producers and landlords, then one landlord said ‘we’re going to invest in you’.
“We opened our shop on December 12. It was pure fate, we wanted to be in Scotland but this place chose us.”
Bringing French cuisine to the north-east
Chez Raphael serves up a range of traditional French bakes from crepes and waffles to chouquettes and, of course, madeleines.
Strong coffee is on the menu for anyone committed to the full French experience, but there is also tea for the faint or fragile hearted.
Emmanuel hopes to instil the same love of French cuisine into his customers as he had instilled in him from a young age.
Even with the small offering the bakery currently has, the quality means customers keep coming back.
“One of my best customers is five years old, he gives up his pocket money for my chouquettes,” said Emmanuel.
“There’s no one we haven’t seen, from five years old to 80 years old.”
The nature of French cuisine could be central to why the business has made an impact on Laurencekirk.
Emmanuel explained: “What we do is simple, and the products we make are everyday foods in France.
“That works exactly the same way here, people start making it a habit to pop in for a few madeleines or chouquettes.
“People in this country say French cuisine is fancy and expensive, but that’s not true. The point is having nice, traditional, simple food done well that people want to eat everyday.”
Loving local
Chez Raphael occupies the smaller side of an old garage space at 25 High Street which has two sections, but plans are already well under way for something bigger.
The other side of the space will soon become a French deli, boasting everything from fresh quiches to pate and rotisserie chicken.
The north-east community has welcomed the bakery with open arms, encouraging Emmanuel to offer his services to local schools teaching home economics or French.
He hopes the deli will enable him to create up to 10 jobs in the community – not least to give back to them for their support.
“We are trying to integrate ourselves, to belong, people have been very nice with us and helped us along the way,” he added.
Emmanuel uses produce from within 25 miles of the bakery, but admits there are some things he must go further afield for to satisfy his high French standards.
“Everywhere I turn here I find something I need, the place is full of great produce,” he said.
“Sorry, but cheese and wine will be imported from France, there is no other choice.”
‘The closest thing to magic’
Running a business that embodies family tradition 140 years in the making has its ups and downs.
“The perk is you have been trained in a way no one else has,” said Emmanuel.
“The tricky part is that the whole rest of the family is looking at you to make sure you’re not doing anything wrong.
“Everything I do I compare with my grandparents and great grandparents. I’m not happy with a product if, when I bite into it, I don’t have the same sensation I had when I was a kid.”
Emmanuel describes the way he feels about food as “beyond love”, saying it is “the closest thing to magic you can find in life”.
“I love the fact I can take a bit of butter, flour and eggs and make someone’s day,” he added.
Despite the pressure to live up to Raphael’s name, Emmanuel feels he has found his place in the north-east.
He said: “There is always a reason why life takes you somewhere, even if you don’t see it at first glance.
“You have to respect fate, it’s an important part of life.”
A round of questions with Emmanuel Lopez of Chez Raphael…
Favourite food?
I love Japanese food and my go-to comfort food is ramen. I like it spicy.
Favourite drink?
I’m a mojito guy.
Favourite thing to do when back in France?
See my family and friends in Toulouse and Paris.
Favourite memory from the kitchen?
That’s easy, my grandmother cooking madeleines in her kitchen. That was just my family, I was practically born in the kitchen.
Do you have a hero you look up to?
In the family, Raphael, but if I am looking outside the family I would say Francois Vatel. He was the cook for Louis XIV, what he did was simple but he went into all the regions of France and looked at the peasants’ food then made it a bit fancy.
Favourite place to eat or drink in the north-east?
I don’t have a favourite place yet, but I am passionate about pizza so I am looking for a great place. It’s a tricky one because people think anyone can do them, but that is not true.
Favourite thing in Chez Raphael?
The madeleines, they were my first memory and will be my last for sure.
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