“This is not a goodbye, but rather, a see you later,” writes owner and head pastry chef of Buttermere Patisserie, Jamie Tung, in an Instagram post.
Tung opened the commercial kitchen known for melding traditional French pastry techniques with Asian flavours in Vancouver eight years ago and built it into a popular bake shop business despite not having a traditional storefront.
However, Tung's family lives in Taiwan, and after 20 years in B.C., she says she has made the "difficult decision" to temporarily close her store and return home to spend quality time with her loved ones.
Buttermere’s last day of operations will be June 10 and to thank her customers for their love and support, Tung is offering 20 per cent off all items via her online shop as of June 1. Kitchenware and other accessories will also be on sale.
Tung was trained at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Art in Vancouver before joining the Paris Tour with ex-owner of Beaucoup Bakery Jackie Kai Ellis. Later she joined pastry chef Dominic Fortin at the Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler for a year and then moved on to the now-closed dessert bar, Mosquito, in Vancouver before opening Buttermere.
“It has been a wild ride," she says. "Now, it’s time for me to celebrate life’s milestones and accomplishments with my family back home.”
Business hours will be from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday to Saturday through the month of June and, once the store is closed, Tung promises to keep the Butteremere Instagram account updated with her adventures.
“For me, home is where my family is – across the world in Taiwan,” she says. “I intend to spend time sharpening my skills in Taiwan and around the world and plan to return to Vancouver once in a while with seasonal pop-ups and collaborations…So stay tuned."
