Le Petit Bistro opens in Hungerford

A NEW, fine dining outlet opened on Hungerford High Street yesterday (Friday).

Le Petit Bistro will add a new dimension to The Funghi Club shop, which opened last December.

As well as being able to buy meals to take home, pâtisserie, pates, charcuterie, fresh bread, fine chocolates, seafood and other French produce, customers will be able to enjoy a range of dishes and wines within the setting of The Funghi Club.

The bistro is the latest step in expansion for the couple behind The Funghi Club project, Laurent and Janie Lebeau.

In 2019, The Funghi Club started as a mushroom stall at artisan markets, selling their hot Funghi Bun as well as doing occasional food.

When the coronavirus pandemic struck, they diversified by creating a weekly menu of high-quality, restaurant standard, mostly French, food for customers to take home.

Mr Lebeau has curated a menu for Le Petit Bistro, using not only his many years of experience as a chef, but also by talking to shop customers and asking what they would like to see on the menu.

Specialties will include souffles, gratins, charcuterie, cheeses and pâtisserie.

Mr Lebeau has had an illustrious career and holds an impressive CV in the restaurant and catering industry.

Learning his trade at the distinguished Lycée Hotelier in Nice, he has been head chef at several top exclusive London French restaurants, an executive head chef at Groupe Chez Gérard with 85 restaurants under his remit and he was head chef at the prestigious Wimbledon Tennis Championships for the royal family and other VIP guests for two consecutive years.

He said: "Janie and I are thrilled to launch Le Petit Bistro in The Funghi Club and look forward to seeing our friends and customers getting together to enjoy some fabulous food and wine with a little Parisian ‘je ne sais quoi’."