Patisserie Stella – August 2021
Nammie Matthews
- August 31, 2021
Our saviour in solitude, champion in confinement, Brighton’s resident pandemic pastry master. If you were one of the early ones to cotton on to Patisserie Stellar, you’ll already know its brilliant baker Jamie as the man whose cake boxes flooded Instagram feeds each Saturday during lockdown, each weekly box of devilish delights serving up solace to those who could get hold of them.
But by summer this year, Patisserie Stellar had a very different face. Jamie’s popularity has snowballed over the last 12 months, taking him from selling out his pre-order bakery boxes each week to fully-fledged brunch pop-ups – first at Cafe Rust, and then Shelter Hall. Whispers of a London-based Stellar meant his cake boxes were no longer a viable option. However, it turned out Jamie’s baking skills were equally adept at delivering a savoury option.
Jamie introduced Egg Cheese Rolls at Stellar’s Cafe Rust pop-up back in April, and they’ve been a smash in his various residences ever since. With a full, on-site kitchen at his disposal, Jamie was able to cook up fresh, hot treats to his customers for the first time, and offer a worthy opponent to the cake boxes that drove his success.
Featuring soft, silken scramble loaded between two slices of golden potato bread (plus Mexicana cheese, chives, and an indulgent tangy mustard sauce), Patisserie Stellar’s egg and cheese sandwiches are not to be missed – but you’ve limited time to try them.
Following a four-week residency earlier in the year, Patisserie Stellar is now back at Shelter Hall for one final weekend – a farewell tour, if you will – across the August bank holiday weekend.
Now, as for these sandwiches: the Egg and Cheese Rolls come *highly* recommended by the Brunches team, and are – in our minds – the result of what we think might happen if Gordon Ramsay decided to try his hand at making a high-end, gourmet Egg McMuffin.
What’s more, just like at Western civilisation’s favourite fast food joint, you’ve also got the option of adding a sausage patty, or a couple of bacon rashers (though you’ll experience plenty of flavour either way).
“August bank holidays are for beach walks, seeing the people you love, and enjoying the sun.
“A good sandwich is a great way to
top it off, though.”
Patisserie Stellar’s bakery boxes got us through our lockdown woes, providing more than adequate sustenance for many a socially distanced walk at the height of the pandemic, and it feels symbolic that Jamie remained with us to signal the lifting of restrictions and a reigniting of our social lives.
After this bank holiday weekend passes, we’ll dearly miss Patisserie Stellar, but it feels fitting that Jamie’s pop up bakery is disappearing from Brighton almost as quickly as it emerged. Whatever the future lies for Jamie, it’s going to be great, and we’re excited to follow his journey into the big smoke.
For now? As far as we see it, August bank holidays are for exploring – whether that’s walking along the beach, seeing the people you love the most, or making the most of the sun (while it lasts). But making sure to try these sandwiches – on their ultimate outing, with the dazzling sea as your backdrop – is one great way to top it off.
Believe the hype: breakfast doesn’t get much better than this.
Patisserie Stellar’s final Brighton outing is available from 9:30am to 11:30am on Sunday 29th and Monday 30th August, at Shelter Hall.
Nammie Matthews
Editor, Brunches of Brighton
Nammie is the editor and creator of Brunches of Brighton, which launched with a collection of reviews in 2018. As a freelancer in journalism and communications, she covers everything from breaking news stories to writing web content for exciting start ups, having worked with the Sunday Times, Culture Trip, Escape the City, and more.
Outside of the 9–5, you’ll find her putting her all into a spin class, cooking up a treat or planning her next out-of-town adventure – when she’s not checking out the latest brunch spot, of course.
