French baker finds love, home in Zhuhai

In January 2001, Salaun met Zhong Bozi, a Zhuhai native who specialized in making antique furniture. They bonded over their mutual appreciation of traditional Chinese culture and fell in love rapidly.

In 2003, Salaun took Zhong to France to meet his family for the first time. The following year, in June, they got married in Zhuhai and chose to settle down there, working in a furniture factory.

Zhong said her husband, who can speak a little Cantonese, has since integrated into the local social circle. Their daughter is 16 years old.

In his spare time, Salaun began learning how to make bread by studying textbooks from a professional baking school. As he continued practicing, his kneading, fermenting and baking skills improved dramatically.

At first, the bread he made was mainly for his family, and he would also bake some for his friends. Unexpectedly, he received unanimous praise and was strongly encouraged to open an authentic French bakery.

Salaun and Zhong quit their furniture factory jobs, and in 2015, they opened Papa Romantic.

"During the first two years, the bakery basically earned no profit, but Salaun loved the job," Zhong said. "He persisted in learning from a professional Michelin restaurant chef, conducted a lot of mixing experiments and tried various flavors. And it was his love and perseverance that have led us to keep running our bakery."

Papa Romantic now employs six people.

Zhong said she no longer remembers how many baking experiments Salaun has conducted in his pursuit of perfection. For example, he tried 150 different cookie recipes before finally settling on a few, she said.

He wanted to ensure they were low in sugar to fit local demand, but also have a buttery taste so he could stand out from industrial companies, she added.

Salaun said they use very good quality imported butter, and it has made a huge difference.

"I choose quality ingredients as I choose quality for my life. It's my identity, it's my bakery identity. I'm not interested in selling low-quality products. And quality doesn't have to mean expensive," he said.

Salaun said he liked the cozy size of Zhuhai city and the Beishan community in Nanping.

"I can feel a coastal atmosphere here, and I need it as I'm from a seaside region in France, too," he said. "Now that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has grown, there is a lot of new infrastructure and facilities. Zhuhai is perfect for me and my family.

"I wish to be part of the Beishan mixed cultural artistic area, and in the heart of Zhuhai locals and tourists. I'm definitely romantic and put more focus on customer satisfaction," he added.

Yang Qianhang contributed to this story.

zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn