Once upon a time two young chefs met in London in the pastry kitchens of The Connaught Hotel...

This is the history of Frederic and Jane Robineau in pictures from their home towns through to the opening of their first shop.

Jane gained qualifications in Patisserie and Hotel Management at Darlington College

Finalist at the culinary arts competition in 1994

Commis chef at Headlam Hall at weekends - long busy shifts with piles of fish and shellfish to prepare! Restaurant supervisor for Barbara at The Morritt Arms Hotel - a homely place to work and then Slaley Hall but as we used to call it Slavery Hall! Crazy shifts and my first experience of staff accommodation!

Off to London to join the pastry team at the Connaught Hotel under the watchful eye of Chef Michel Bourdin and my much respected twin head pastry chefs - Carolyn and Deborah Powers

Her Majesty the Queen dined at the Connaught and afterwards visited the kitchens to thank the chefs! A truly exciting evening I will never forget.

The start of Robineau Patisserie! Frederic and Jane meet for the first time.

Jane leaves the beloved Connaught to work as head pastry chef at the Sloane Club, London

2002 - Moved to Harrogate and worked as assistant shop manager at Betty’s

Fred’s home - The Loire Valle, France

1993 A star is born - Fred gains his diploma in Patisserie

1995 1st prize at a regional pastry competition

1995 Fred gains his Master Patissier of France qualification in Angers - a tough course with very high standards

Move to England taking a chef de partie position at The Café Royal, London

Awarded best in show and best pastry chef at Salon Culinaire 1997

Back to Paris to serve one year’s military service! Instead of guns Fred took the position of Head Pastry chef at the ministry of Defence cooking for Ministers and President Chirac serving desserts on plates costing £500 each!!

Fred takes a Sous chef position in the Connaught pastry kitchens were Jane is working

Gold award in ‘works in chocolate’ category at Hotelympia 2000 for his hand carved chocolate music box

Head Pastry chef at the Landmark Hotel - the start of a prison sentence with hours and stress from hell. Two demanding jobs; we saw very little of each other.

The Royal family dine at The Landmark for a state banquet

2002 The start of Robineau Patisserie - our first wedding exhibition at The Morritt Arms Hotel and our first wedding cake

Our first huge birthday cake and first celebrity wedding cake appearing in OK magazine

2007 The grand opening of our shop in Darlington by Duncan Banantyne (free of charge!)We organised a fantastic party which ended well after midnight with a good handful of guests all in the kitchen reheating the remainder of the canapés and continuing to drink Champagne!

Tom Aikens -Michelin starred chef gets married to our friend Amber and chooses a Robineau wedding cake

Duncan Bannatynes 60th birthday cake design

Our biggest birthday cake to date designed for a millionaires ’Mad Hatters’ birthday party in Doncaster

Working for ITV on the Ladettes to Ladies series 2006, 2007and 2008. We were contracted to design the cake for the final episode of each series, supply the display cakes used in the filming and also train Rosemary Shrager on how to make them so she could demonstrate to the girls.

Our Christmas windows 2007 and 2008

Children’s Easter egg decorating day - we received cards, emails and lovely phone calls afterwards to say how much the children had enjoyed their session with us in the kitchen.