Ashley Bernadette Coiffard - L’Appartement 4F
L'Appartement 4F needs no introduction. Its origin story and quaint, mini croissant cereals skyrocketed the bakery to rockstar status (to us that means our moms know about it) towards the tail end of 2020, and we’d been fiending for a raspberry croissant ever since. As the story goes, Ashley Coiffard and her fiancé Gautier turned their Cobble Hill apartment into a small-scale bake shop, churning out small batches of slow-fermented, sourdough bread throughout the pandemic. Through meticulous recipe revision, and the eventual move to their Brooklyn Heights location, the duo has made something special: bring a true French viennoiserie to NYC. We grabbed a quick breakfast with Ashley, who is truly as sunny and inviting as L’Appartment 4F’s dreamy two-story cafe, and chatted life before the bakery, and what she’s learned since.
Full name, age, where are you from?
Ashley Bernadette Coiffard, 32, Southampton NY
Was food a big part of your upbringing?
Food was an integral part of my childhood and how I was raised. My mom is Persian and lived in different countries before I was born. She introduced us to so many cultures and cuisines and instilled the importance of traveling with our palettes. I’m so lucky that she made me try everything at least once and from such an early age.
What are your earliest memories of dining out?
Two memories really stand out to me when thinking of dining out as a child. We celebrated Chinese New Year every year with my godmother. We would sit in Chinatown and watch the Dim Sum carts go by in excitement. I can still remember the energy in those restaurants. Another memory I have is when we would spend summers in Iran and ate at someone’s house almost every day. Sitting on the floor, with big plates of rices, stew, kebab and vegetables. I still associate sitting on the floor with a special meal.
If you could give a piece of advice to someone who wanted to pursue your career, what would it be?
The biggest advice I can give is to just go for it and not think too much. I tend to be an over thinker in every aspect of my life but this business happened so organically. I think if I thought about it too much, we never would have launched a menu. There are so many things that can go wrong and it’s hard not to only think of those things. If you are proud of your product or idea, just do it. I would regret not trying more than failing.
What do you think working in this industry has taught you?
Working in this industry has taught me that the food industry consists of the most supportive and warm individuals. We are so lucky that everyone has been so welcoming and helpful. Other bakeries have given us advice whenever we needed it, restaurateurs have guided us and we can always rely on our friends in the business. We were nervous about not being accepted because we are not classically trained but it’s been quite the opposite experience.
What's your favorite dish/drink on the menu?
If I had to choose, I would say the sourdough baguettes. They can be eaten by themselves, or with butter and a little dash of salt and it’s heaven.
What is your favorite place to go out and eat at and what are you ordering?
My favorite place to go out to eat is Farm Country Kitchen in Riverhead on Long Island. It’s a small and unassuming restaurant in an old house on the Peconic River. I order the same thing every time which is the Tomassio Pasta'; angel hair pasta tossed with chopped fresh tomatoes, roasted garlic, basil, eggplant and topped with goat cheese. So simple but so delicious.
You’re on a desert island, what are the 5 kitchen items you need to run your business?
The five kitchen items we would need is our sourdough starter, salt, flour, mixer and oven. At least we can make bread!
