BUTTER Pastry

At the Phillipstown end of Tuam Street in Christchurch stands a small kitchen where award winning pastry chef Corentin Esquenet works his magic. BUTTER is a realisation of a portfolio project that turned into a business half by accident. It all began during the first Covid lockdown, when Corentin decided to keep himself busy by creating buttery treats at home, and sharing his creations on Instagram. Fairly quickly, he began to receive requests from treat-hungry followers, and so the business took off.

A jack-of-all-trades, on top of being a trained pastry chef, Corentin has worked as a photographer as well a graphic designer. The combination of his skills is the realisation of everything that is BUTTER. From the logo to the photography, and most importantly the baking – everything is self-created in-house. The focus is on flavourful and utterly beautiful pastries that are not only sweet, but perfectly balanced. The products crafted here are inspired by traditional French pastries, but given a Kiwi twist for a touch of uniqueness and to compliment the local palate.

Exquisite tarts, perfect petit fours and centrepiece cakes are the core of BUTTER. It can all be browsed on BUTTER’s website, and getting your hands on some of these sweet treats requires an online order that can be picked up directly from the kitchen, or delivered within Ōtautahi Christchurch. And if you are willing to wait in line for a taste of the good stuff, head over on a Saturday morning when the streetside window opens up to serve single pastries and filter coffee. Vegan hot chocolate is also available.