A chef with a Premier League promotion and the X Factor judges’ houses on his CV has returned to his roots with a patisserie down the road from his primary school in Cardiff. If you live or work in Station Road in Llandaff North then Valentin’s Cakery will have become a familiar sight over the years. But the shop is about to get a makeover under the new name of Chapter 22 Patisserie – at the hands of a brand new owner.
After a career spanning three decades which has had him cooking for a Championship side that won promotion to the Premier League, serving meals to the Wales football team’s young guns, and flying out to France to cook for Simon Cowell’s X Factor hopefuls Craig Marc has returned to his Cardiff roots and set up shop.
He said: “I’ve been a chef for 17 years, done some amazing things, and hit heights I never thought I’d hit. But I plateaued a bit, got a bit bored, and thought I needed a new challenge. I started making cakes in lockdown – everyone went a bit crazy over it on Facebook and I was getting orders. It got to the point where I thought: ‘I need to take that risk and start my own venture.’ So I did. Since I’ve opened up my new shop it feels like I’ve come back to my roots. The community is so supportive and there are loads of old friends dropping in.”
