To pronounce its name is already a journey,
Hong Kong is a particular city which never leaves you feeling indifferent,
and for Ladurée to be established in the ground of fusion
between the East and the West is without any doubt a beautiful adventure!

Asian capital of fashion and business, symbol of success, it has seduced
Ladurée by its immense energy, authentic identity and prosperity.

All these qualities make our House is particularly proud
to be among these most prestigious addresses in the world that is Hong Kong.

 

History of Ladurée

 

Parisian tea rooms history is intimately tied to the history of the Ladurée family.
It all began in 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée, a miller from France's southwest,
created a bakery in Paris at 16 rue Royale.

In 1871, while Baron Haussmann was giving Paris a "new face",
a fire in the bakery opened the possibility of a transformation into a pastry shop.

The decoration of the pastry shop was entrusted to Jules Cheret,
a famous turn-of-the-century painter and poster artist.
M. Cheret sought inspiration from the painting techniques
used for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the Garnier Opera.
By integrating them in his work, he added depth
and relief to the ceilings ornamented with cherubic children.

Under the Second Empire, cafés developed and became more and more luxurious.
They attracted Parisian high society.
The beginning of this century found Paris wrapped up in a frenzy of distraction
and going out in public.

Parisians flocked to the Universal Exposition. Women were also changing.
They wanted to make new acquaintances.
Literary salons and literature circles were outmoded.

 

Ernest Ladurée's wife, Jeanne Souchard, had the idea of mixing styles:
The Parisian café and pastry shop gave birth to one of the first tea rooms in town.

 

The «salon de thé» had a definite advantage over the cafés:
women could gather in complete freedom.
Jeanne Souchard succeeded in combining the turn-of-the-century
trend to modernism with knowledge of the merits
of a craft transmitted by her family.

 

The rue Royale tea room was enlarged in 1930
by Pierre Desfontaines, second cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée,
who thought of taking two macaron shells and joining them
with delicious ganache filling.

 

This site imbued with a refined atmosphere and charged with history
Seduced David Holder and his father Francis Holder, founder of the Holder Group.
In 1993, they decided to buy this Parisian institution,
and to promote and enlarge the famous "Maison".

 

Mr. David Holder

As Chairman of Ladurée and Vice-Chairman of the Holder Group,
David Holder is known for his ethical and principled approach to business
and as a man who also allows his feelings and intuition to play their part.

 

Ever since the opening of Ladurée on the Champs-Elysées in 1997,
his life and his career have taken off.
Despite an enormous increase in business, he has managed to ensure its success
by adhering to traditional values and practices while maintaining
the unique character that distinguishes it,
regardless of what current trends may try to dictate.

 

His main aim is to make fine things, to create real character in each of his
establishments and to publicise the quality and beauty of Ladurée products.

 

In twenty years, David Holder has recreated the illustrious history of Ladurée
and has firmly placed it on the world stage.

 

The atmosphere

The boutique was designed in the spirit of a «private house»
where the décor plays a crucial role
and each detail contributes to its success.

 

The space is laid out around a hickory and bluish-grey marble
neo-classical sales counter displaying the macarons and chocolates.

 

In the background, a beautiful Restoration-style cabinet
in the spirit of a library displays all the shop's products
as well as collector's boxes.

 

The ceiling décor features the rue Bonaparte boutique's
famous painted pearl necklace Ladurée motif.
Neo-classical plaster medallions showing an undressed woman,
and a few details such as a 19th-century painting, bronze arrow-shaped
sconces and a Barbebienne lamp, grace the walls.

 

The Tasteful and the Beautiful

Ladurée brings to Hong Kong its highly popular "macarons"
that are displayed in their most beautiful boxes,
its collection of chocolates, confectionary, jams, teas
and its selection of perfumed candles and home fragrances.

 

For Ladurée, sweets are not just a pleasure but a way of life.
Every care is given to Ladurée's packaging to reflect
the brand perfectly and to make every item the perfect gift.

 

The Ladurée «gourmandises»

For Ladurée, the "p'tisserie" is an art made of a thousand sensations.
A taste of Ladurée candy is a journey of intense flavours.
Tasting a macaron is like indulging in an unforgettable moment
of delight and one that you want to succumb to again and again.

 

The macarons collection

The story of the Ladurée macaron starts with Pierre Desfontaines,
the second cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée, who, in the mid 20th century
had the idea to stick together a pair of two macaron pieces,
and garnish them with a tasty flavour.

 

This small and mellow cake, crunchy from the outside
and melting from the inside, is prepared with extreme delicacy. Almonds,
eggs, sugar and a pinch of a unique know-how are necessary for their
cooking, ensuring that every macaron
reaches the delicate balance between flavours and textures.

 

Flavours that are permanently available include:
Chocolate, Coffee, Lemon, Liquorice, Pistachio,
Raspberry, Rose Petal, Salted Caramel and Vanilla.

 

Every season, Ladurée pays tribute to Pierre Desfontaines by creating
a new flavour. The new creation takes into account the previous ones,
and we try to diversify the colours as well as the flavours,
as it is the essential part of the seduction.

 

To celebrate the 150 anniversary, a new "Incroyable" collection is created.
A subtle taste of hazelnut blended with a smooth marshmallow heart.
An autumnal and evocative flavor for a new season of delicacies.

 

The chocolate collection

 

Our chocolate candies have an evocative, dazzling, moving, magnificent,
incredible, marvellous, prodigious, impressive nature
and are formed from different and delicate flavours,
harmoniously mixing cacao with praline, nougat and almond paste...

Ladurée's favourite chocolate creations include:
Souris Chérie, Langues de Chat, Rochers,
Candied Ginger, Candied Orange Chocolate Sticks.

 

New tea collection

The sensual and captivating flavours of our teas
are made perfect for enjoyment at different time throughout the day.
No matter if it's for a romantic pause in the spirit of Ladurée
or a delightful break of pleasure.
Each of our teas has a tasty blending of sweet
and delicate or character and lightness.

 

Jams collection

Our jams are made in a cauldron by an artisan of the Morvan.
They are made from whole fruit and or cracked from Europe,
sugar, lemon juice and contains some of the apple pectin,
there is no additive or citric acid.
They are cooked slowly to minimize the loss of flavour
and avoid caramelization to preserve the taste of fruit.

 

Ladurée Hong Kong
Shop 3224, Level 3, Gateway Arcade,
Harbour City, Kowloon
Tel.: +852 2175 5028

Hong Kong Press Contact
Beppe Lee - Assistant Marketing Manager
+852 2968 7397
byplee@bluebellgroup.com

Kennis Ng - Marketing Executive
+852 2968 7317
kng@bluebellgroup.com

Paris Press Contact
Safia Thomass Bendali - Aude Schlosser - Delphine Neto
+33 1 45 63 45 79
espacepresse@laduree.com - www.laduree.com