With its unique name, Lazy Claire Patisserie has been a talking point from the off, a play on words that continues to be a conversation-starter almost six years after opening. Specialising in authentic French pastries, Daniel knew he wanted to stand out.

“I had originally thought of another French sounding name but wasn’t sold on it. I wanted something fun and I knew we would be making eclairs as part of our main offering,” said Daniel.

“So, one night at dinner my partner and I were talking about a name and I can’t remember who mentioned “les eclairs” but when you say it out loud, the French pronunciation is nearly the same as ‘Lazy Claire’. That’s when the name was born and I knew we were onto something that would serve us well.”

Daniel began his pastry career at the former restaurant, No.27 Talbot Street. After it closed, he moved to Paris in September 2012, where he worked at the world-renowned tearoom and patisserie, Angelina. Having battled to get his visa to work, he worked at Angelina until September 2013, when he returned to Belfast and began planning on opening the most authentic patisserie in Northern Ireland.

“My experience in Paris was absolutely essential for our business model. Angelina at the time had at least six locations in and around Paris, so they sent items out to each shop in the morning.

“We were working on a very large scale and that was easy to scale down. But now that we are in our production kitchen, I have been able to expand back up with many of the same methods we used there.

“The production kitchen was always in my business plan from the very start. As I mentioned, Angelina had a massive production kitchen in the outskirts of Paris and I wanted something similar, although smaller! We were very limited in the quantities we could produce in our Castlereagh location and the timing finally worked in our favour to secure the location on the Beersbridge Road.

“Partnering with HSBC for a significant business loan, I fitted out the former butchers’ unit with all the equipment that we would need to increase both our current offering but also introducing some new items. This space allows for all the chefs to work at the same time without being on top of each other.”

Describing the early days after opening as exciting, Daniel added it was also tricky to determine how many pastries to make due to high demand.

“As with any new business we had to adapt constantly and figure out what worked well and what we needed to do better. Knowing that we were bringing authentic pastries to Belfast had been a goal of mine for a long time and the public responded overwhelmingly to what we were doing.

“Our business has expanded steadily over the past six years. Initially it was tricky getting in front of the public, mainly due to our location. But word of mouth spread and we gained a very loyal following and once the pandemic began, we had enough loyalty to keep us going.

“We pivoted from being a sit-in café to offering only takeaways, which helped with recognition since there was a queue out the door! After things settled down again, we continued to increase the quantities we were producing to keep up with demand. It was on the back of this demand that I determined that it was the right time to expand into our production kitchen.”

While corporate orders and catering are available, Daniel said they have no plans to add a wholesale arm to the business.

“We have been asked to supply wholesale from the very start, but I have always wanted to keep our offering in-house,” he explained. “This exclusivity allows us to deliver a very high-quality product since the pastries are made fresh on the day.

“Quality has always been at the forefront of our craft and that’s very hard to control once you pass that on to someone else. Will they store it correctly? Will they attempt to sell day-old pastries? The quality and freshness that we bring would be difficult to ensure when someone else stocks your product.”

With so much demand for the sweet baked goods, innovation is key to help keep people coming back for more.

“The most popular products in the bakery can change from week to week. Our customers are not afraid of trying something new and it can be really hard to pin down what our bestsellers are, especially when we nearly sell out every day!

“My personal favourite is either the Paris Brest, made with our homemade praline paste, or our newest Opéra cake with chocolate and coffee flavours.

“Coming up with new products or ideas can be tricky if I am pretty busy with the day-to-day production. However, I have found it much easier now that I have the space to work on my own in the new kitchen. But that challenge also comes with providing something innovative and that we haven’t done before.

“I try my best not to bring back past pastries, but if I can reinvent a favourite in a different way, this gives customers the flavours that they love. With so many holidays throughout the year, we always have to be on our toes coming up with something new, so I look at pastry magazines as well as Instagram for inspiration.”

With a team of four chefs including Daniel, there are also five front of house staff, all ensuring the smooth running of Lazy Claire Patisserie, with training offered at the start for their baristas to ensure they are all up to speed on customer service and coffee skills.

Their coffee supplier, Bailies also offers a training programme for baristas and that helps ensure that each one is performing to a great standard, Daniel added.

“For our chefs, training is pretty much on a daily basis. There is so much to teach and instruct on, so it’s very rare that they aren’t learning a new skill at least once a week.”

Indeed, with the opening of the production kitchen, Daniel has plans for another exciting development, offering customers the opportunity to expand their own skills by completing a pastry course.

“Our customers have been demanding pastry courses for as long as we’ve been open and I am very keen to offer this to the public. With TV shows like GBBO and Bake Off – The Professionals, the public are intrigued by and keen to know how pastry and baking works.

“I have also had some interest from fellow chefs who would like to learn more advanced techniques, so I would like to explore offering masterclasses as well.”

Inevitably, rising business and energy costs have had their impact, with Daniel saying that inflation and rising utility costs have definitely impacted them, and as their staff are also facing those costs, wages have had to be increased too.

“All of those costs have to be covered and we have to pass those along to the customer, unfortunately. But I have tried to keep those increases to a minimum so that we can still offer excellent pastries at value for money.

“It’s a fine balancing act of finding the same product that could be cheaper with a different supplier. While I absolutely would never use inferior products, I did find that one supplier offered a high-quality, own-brand chocolate at a good reduction in price.

“I am constantly looking at raw material costs and try to avoid expensive items if possible. And if we can make something cheaper than buying it in, then we absolutely will. For instance, we make our own marshmallows, hot chocolate and chai and this can help offset the higher costs of other items like vanilla and butter.”

Daniel added that for him, the biggest challenge is ensuring continued growth and maintaining their commitment to excellence throughout that.

“Many businesses can expand and scale up, but frequently it comes at an expense to quality and corners begin to get cut. Our dedication to high-quality pastries has never changed, but figuring out how to make more in the same space of time and with the same team can be very tricky to manage.

“Technology can assist in only so many ways before you lose the craft that a trained pastry chef will bring. We don’t rely too much on technology and still craft our pastries by hand.

“We do have updated machines to help with increasing quantities, but there is still an element of knowledge and expertise that needs to go into every step. Technology can help eliminate some steps, but it would take a massive production line to come close to the steps needed with most of our pastries.”

And it is these finely-honed skills that has led to some significant award nominations for Daniel, including Top 10 Pastry Chef and Best Chef nominations.

“I have been very honoured to have been nominated for a number of awards. Having my hard work and dedication to the craft acknowledged by respected partners is very rewarding.

“Although I have yet to actually win one of the categories, the growth our business has enjoyed has proven to me that it has been successful and that is the recognition that matters most.”

TO READ THE FULL LAZY CLAIRE PATISSERIE FEATURE IN THE 2024 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

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The highly anticipated new store opened on 15 September following a significant construction project to relocate its former store at the junction of Castlereagh and Montgomery Road to larger premises located in an adjacent site on Castlereagh Road, next to Lynas Food Outlet.

Occupying a much larger area of 11,575 sq. metres, with an impressive 1,420 sq. metre sales floor, the dramatically transformed new store was unveiled last week, offering customers more space to shop an expanded product range, with additional product lines complementing the retailer’s existing range which promises to be ‘Big on Quality, Lidl on Price’.

Shoppers can also now enjoy a bright, modern and spacious facility built to the retailer’s established concept design which prioritises sustainability, spacious, wide aisles, long tills, restrooms, staff and baby-changing facilities.

The new store also incorporates glass-fronted glazing, landscaping and improved access, and prioritises sustainability and energy efficiency with a range of environmentally-friendly features including a bespoke Energy Management System.

To mark the opening of the new Castlereagh Road store, Lidl Northern Ireland donated £1,000 in store vouchers to local schools Knockbreda Primary School and St. Bernard’s Primary School, as part of the retailer’s commitment to positively contributing to its local community.

Jonathan McConnell, Lidl Castlereagh Road Store Manager, said: “Our Castlereagh Road Store has been serving the east Belfast community for 20 years, so it’s a joy to welcome shoppers back through our doors after a short construction period to enjoy this brand-new, state-of-the-art store. As a retailer operating right in the heart of the community, we’re proud to deliver this significant store upgrade for our customers and I’m confident that they will love the new-look frontage and improved in-store facilities.

“With a significantly larger shop floor, locals can now shop a wider range of essential groceries and benefit from our Big on Quality, Lidl on Price proposition which has resonated so well with communities across the region, and even more so during these challenging times.

“I’m also thrilled to welcome ten permanent new staff to join our existing 25-strong team. It’s been a fantastic boost for the whole team to welcome new staff and move forward into a new phase of growth within a modern, sustainably-focused and customer-centric store. I’m excited for everyone to visit and I look forward to welcoming even more customers through our doors very soon.”

The new store opening at Castlereagh Road marks the completion of the fourth store delivered as part of a wider £32 million investment promise announced in 2021 to create five new stores within the Belfast City Region.

Last year, two new stores opened at Holywood Exchange and Hillview Retail Park, whilst Lidl’s Shore Road store opened in July this year. A fifth and final store is earmarked for development in at Boucher Road, adjacent to the iconic National Football Stadium at Windsor Park – the first Lidl store planned for south Belfast.

The string of new Belfast stores is just part of the retailer’s plan to dramatically enhance its service provision across Northern Ireland, with ambitions to expand its 41-strong store network to 50 by 2030.

Caption: Pictured at the opening of the new Castlereagh Road Lidl Northern Ireland Store is store manager Jonny McConnell and team

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Located in the heart of the bustling Boucher Road retail area beside the M1, and positioned in front of the National Football Stadium and Olympia Leisure Centre, the proposed new store will have a sales area of 1,425 sqm. The development, which sits on a site of 9,792 sqm, also includes a drive thru café, measuring 566 sqm.

With an anticipated opening date as early as next year, the new development will create up to 100 permanent retail jobs and support a further 200 jobs during the construction phase.

Planning permission was lodged this week with Belfast City Council for the new store which will be the retailer’s 42nd store in Northern Ireland and its ninth in the Belfast city area. The application follows a local consultation of the plans.

Construction plans reflect designs to build the new store to Lidl Northern Ireland’s established ‘concept’ design, which prioritises sustainability and energy efficiency. A modern fit-out provides a high-quality shopping experience, with wide aisles, longer till points, enhanced restrooms and employee facilities. The site will also include a 148-space car park, including electric vehicle charging points.

The company said the investment drive was part of a long-term plan to grow Lidl’s store network to 50 stores across the region and forms part of its announcement last year to commit £32 million to develop five new stores in the Greater Belfast region at Castlereagh Road, Crumlin Road, Boucher Road, Holywood Exchange and Shore Road.

Investment

Chris Speers, Regional Property Executive for Lidl Northern Ireland, said: “Since confirming a £32 million investment into the Greater Belfast region with five key sites late last year, we’re pleased to be delivering these projects at pace and with great success.

“We’ve opened two new stores at Holywood Exchange and Crumlin Road and I’m pleased to confirm we’re moving ahead with plans to relocate our existing store at Castlereagh Road to an adjacent site and to redevelop and expand our existing Shore Road store.

“Our fifth site at Boucher Road is a strategically-important location for us, expanding our reach into the south Belfast area for the first time and bringing a multi-million pound investment and new jobs to the local area. We’re excited to bring our award-winning Big on Quality, Lidl on Price proposition to thousands of new shoppers and to extend our presence across the city.

“A key commuter belt and prime retail shopping area, the new store at Boucher Road is well-positioned to serve local residents, shoppers, commuters and visitors alike, with the National Football Stadium positioned just behind the store serving as a major footfall driver. We’re also looking forward to creating a drive-thru café that will further enhance our offering.

“We’re pleased to have worked closely with councillors, key businesses and the wider community to bring these plans forward and we are grateful for the positive support we have received for these plans.”

With 41 stores across the region at present, Lidl Northern Ireland is also advancing plans to progress its £26 million investment into the North West region, with new stores planned at Strabane Shopping Centre in County Tyrone and two stores in Derry-Londonderry at Buncrana Road and Crescent Link shopping centre.

Confirmed as Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing supermarket by Kantar, with more than 12% year-on-year sales growth in 2021, the retailer contributes around £180 million a year to the local economy, sustaining 3,500 jobs while buying and exporting as much as £290 million worth of local goods and products.

The company employs more than 1,100 staff across its 41-strong store network and Regional Distribution Centre in Nutt’s Corner, Co. Antrim, and recently announced its recruitment of an additional 170 employees this year.

For more information visit www.lidl-ni.co.uk

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The planning application to build the food store has been approved unanimously by members of the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council planning committee and construction could begin next year.

The project includes an investment of £16million in the locality and will create 35 new permanent jobs, 100 retail jobs and support 250 more through the construction phase.

The current site, which has been derelict for the previous five years since the departure of Supervalu, will now be demolished.

The proposals will also see three retail units, a cafe, bookmakers, a drive-thru cafe, provision of car parking, landscaping and associated site work.

A total of 230 car parking spaces are to be provided in total as part of this scheme. This will include four EV charging spaces.

Positive step

Independent councillor Nathan Anderson said it was a positive step in the right direction for the town.

“Since 2017 local people have been without any functional town centre impacting on the environment, community, and economy of Carryduff,” he said.

“Having certainty on the anchor store is a big win for the viability of this project. This application has been widely welcomed by eager Carryduff citizens but also others wider afield.

“This application achieves these ends. The applicants have been very amenable to the community and have tried to provide community space.

“This will be a huge improvement on what is there currently and from a heritage perspective, the historic red gates of the Mourne conduit will be preserved. I know our local Carryduff history groups will be pleased to hear this news.”

Chair of the planning committee, Cllr Alex Swan, said: “I welcome this significant investment to the Carryduff area, which will rejuvenate the former shopping centre site and serve as a new focal point for the town centre.

“Lidl’s decision to continue to invest here is evidence of the advantages of setting up business in Lisburn Castlereagh.

“We have excellent infrastructure, access to a talented workforce, and great local supply chains.”

The approved plans will also fulfil part of the council’s Castlereagh Urban Framework which aims to regenerate the Carryduff Shopping Centre by 2032.

Lidl has also secured planning permission to demolish and rebuild its store on Belfast’s Shore Road. The north Belfast supermarket will close on January 5 to facilitate the start of work on the £4m project.

The company has also lodged applications for similar replacement store projects in Strabane, Newtownards, Craigavon and Belfast’s Stewartstown Road.

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