15 July 2011
Dear Pierre Hermé,
Imagine my delight when on the first of this month I received an invitation from your public relations representative in the UK to visit your Pierre Hermé Paris boutique in London (map), sample some of your incomparable macarons and share the experience with readers of youngandfoodish.com.
I was a great admirer of yours long before I sought your expertise for a 2009 Los Angeles Times article I wrote about the marriage of chocolate and matcha. In my household your 2010 opening on 13 Lowndes Street in London’s Belgravia was cause for celebration: No longer would I have to drop everything, travel to Paris and brave the permanent queue outside your boutique on the rue Bonaparte whenever I, or, more urgently, Mrs Young&Foodish, got the uncontrollable urge for a milk chocolate and passionfruit macaron.
Only after I’d arrived at your London boutique and removed my camera from its case did your UK Area Manager inform me of certain restrictions:
- No photos of partly eaten macarons.
- No photos of halved macarons.
- No photos of a gloved hand handling macarons.
- No photos of macarons with chocolates in the background.
- No photos, nor mention by name, of the boutique manager.
- No photos of any anyone in the boutique, even with their approval.
I’m sorry, was your area manager not aware that the url for my website was http://youngandfoodish.com, not http://herméandfoodish.com? As the only individual who decides which words and photos go on mywebsite I was determined to refuse all his demands and storm out of the boutique. The trouble is, one doesn’t think clearly when standing before hundreds of your macarons, all perfectly arranged like jewellery in a Tiffany display case. The knees weaken; the backbone turns to gelée.All youngandfoodish.com content is subject to the approval of Daniel Young and Pierre Hermé.
Daniel Young
[oqeygallery id=18]
rather disappointed that you didn’t break the rules out sheer pique!! But the macs look gorgeous, and I presume that they tasted as well as they looked..
Are you posting another review of each flavour and your favourites?
Lynne – No review planned. Feel as though I’ve done my bit.
A very honest letter. I agree entirely with you. I’m a long time fan of Laduree so when Pierre Herme’s boutique opened in London, I was keen to try it. I found all the same problems, just because I was looking at my iPhone, they immediately snarled that I was not allowed to take photos. I find it incredibly impertinent to be told these things when I’m about to spend the best part of 50 pounds on pricey perishables. I think if a customer is making a serious purchase, then they have certain rights, no? I find this snootiness intolerable. It’s just a macaroon for God’s sake, it’s not the Mona Lisa! **rant over**
Dear Daniel,
I find it remarkable that you believe any of your below-average pictures of my macarons would meet my standards. Also, including the word “food” in your domain name, although it is known that food is a concept solely associated with me, is at least cheek, more likely a punishable offence. Lastly and most importantly I had to find out that you organise events during which large ‘meat macarons’ are produced and sold. These go by the name of Burger Monday and I can only attribute this weird choice of name to an attempt by you to conceal these blatant rip-offs of an idea that is mine. mine and mine only. I hereby order you to cease your existence as I believe that it infringes a number of copyrights that I hold.
Best regards,
Pierre
So help me understand…they invited YOU to their boutique in the hopes that you would write a post, but they didn’t want you to include any photos in the post?? WTF?
Krista – They didn’t mind me taking and using photos of their macarons but only in a restricted context carefully arranged and presented by the UK area manager.
I’m sure his behaviour was outrageous but all I remember reading in this article were the words “macarons” and “London boutique”.
Now, umm, outraged etc. etc…I’m, errr, just, you know, getting my coat…grr, fight the power…what’s that? Oh, no I’m just going to stand by the front door, nothing suspect in that at all.
Where did you say the boutique was again?
Ellen – Pierre Hermé Paris London boutique is at 13 Lowndes Street, London, SW1X 9EX. Store that vital information in multiple places so you know you’ll have it should one be lost theft, fire, computer crash or momentary forgetfulness.
See what you really need is a Dr Tim Kinnaird macaron experience from his wonderful Macarons + More….he’ll let you eat take pictures the lot AND his macarons are ace….AND he didn’t ask or pay me to say any of this AND he even does mail order so no need to even
leave the house 😀