Suffolk-based chefs Regis Crepy and son, Alex, have brought their flammekueche dish – made with a non-yeast-based dough with toppings – to Wyken Vineyard.
They have launched a pop-up Amelie café in the yard – which includes a heated covered space for cooler days – where visitors can stop for a quick bite around lunch time.
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Flammekueche is a dish from the Alsace region on the French-German border but is little-known here – unlike its Italian counterpart the pizza.
Griffin Donnelly and Regis Crepy making flammekueche (Image: Sarah Chambers) Regis – a classically-trained French chef – was well-known for the Great House at Lavenham where he served traditional French cuisine. He still lives in the village while Alex is based at Rickinghall on the Suffolk/Norfolk border.
Regis went on to launch other French restaurants – The Mariners in Ipswich and Maison Bleue Bury St Edmunds – before selling up some years ago.
But he was still keen on the craft, and went into business with Alex, launching the Amelie fast food restaurant in the Grafton Centre in Cambridge in 2018.
The restaurant enjoyed huge success and acclaim but they and all the other tenants had to leave this year after the centre was bought up by new owners keen to take the building in another direction. “We had a fantastic reputation,” he said.
However, the pair took over a restaurant at Ben’s Yard near Ely last year which has gone from strength to strength. Amelie at Ben’s Yard was awarded two AA rosettes and a Muddy Stilettos accolade. It is also mentioned in the Good Food Guide as a “little gem”.
“For the world of hospitality today it’s quite a tough environment with everything that’s going on,” admitted Regis.
(Image: Sarah Chambers) They started at Wyken in April, after being invited on board by vineyard owner Sam Carlisle.
Sam met Alex at an event and they hit it off, explained Regis. “Sam had this available here and the idea came up like this.
“Then after a short negotiation we agreed we would have a trial and see how it works,” he said.
“The grounds here are absolutely stunning and it’s a perfect commercial, sustainable product that would allow people to enjoy the countryside at the same time as something that’s light and easy to consume here.”
Sam Carlisle said the flammekueche dish worked perfectly with their wines. “We are thrilled to have Amelie. It’s a great addition to life at Wyken and the flammekueche are absolutely delicious.
“Our customers absolutely love drinking a bottle of wine sitting outside in our orchard enjoying the flammekueche.”
The cafe is hosting wine tastings and other events, including an evening of music with singer Will Robert on June 20. “We have already got 30 people booked for that,” said Regis.
Amelie left the Grafton at the end of February this year. It was a great disappointment as they had a 10-year plan for the business there and had invested heavily in it, he said.
They toughed it out through Covid by changing to a delivery service and through “one of the greatest economic recessions we have known,” he said.
But he added: “We were offering a product that nobody knew in the UK and we are still alive.”
Flammekueche differs from pizza in that the lighter base with no yeast leaves diners feeling a lot less bloated, he said.
“We have got a really good reputation,” said Regis. “It’s been quite positive overall – we can’t complain.
“We understand the business success is based on quality, quality, quality,” he said. “Restaurants today are not just about the food it’s about the whole experience.”