A little bit of Europe has made its way into Canberra after the opening of L’épi Artisan Bakery in late 2022. While the new bakery in Chisholm is fitted out to be simple, the offerings are anything but.

Opened by Ignace Diompy, a French native who trained as a baker and pastry chef in France before moving to Canberra (via a stint in Switzerland) a couple of years ago, L’épi specialises in everything that you would expect from a French bakery, from a wide range of delicious sourdoughs, flaky European pastries, and cakes.

A large focus of the bakery is on the bread. After all, its name l’épi means ‘ear of wheat’ in French.

“There’s a big focus on the baguette, because we do it in the French way, a really traditional way. We leave the dough to rest for 24 hours before shaping and finishing it in the oven,” Ignace explained to Region.

The baked goods sold at L’épi are all made in a commercial space in Hume, very close to the bakery. The central bakery in Hume services Ignace’s two other acquisitions—Bakehouse in Kambah and Crust in Fyshwick. Ignace intends for the three bakeries to eventually work together under the L’épi brand.

“My hope is that we connect with our community, see what they like and make sure we keep things interesting,” Ignace told Her Canberra.

He continued, “We’re always looking to diversify our products in order to attract as many locals as possible—kids, families, coffee lovers, and people who are gluten-free.”

Despite only having opened in December last year, L’épi is already a fan favourite among Canberrans.