Sugar, spice and everything nice: the Gold Coaster cooking up a storm
The woman behind this booming bakery is one tough cookie.
Gold Coasters will recognise the name Chloe Watts from her previous business, Ā Paddock Bakery, but it is her two latest ventures ā Tarte Bakery & CafĆ© and Tarte Beach House ā which is the icing on the cake.
Two Tartes? Read on. Tarte Bakery & CafƩ at Burleigh Heads, which opened in 2020, aims to transport guests to a stylish eatery in West Village New York and is renowned for its French pastries made inhouse.
Meanwhile, Tarte Beach House at Currumbin, launched in August this year, is a combination of Paris meets The Hamptons with a more refined lunch venue and extensive alcohol list.
āThe concept of the original one in Burleigh Heads was a representation of who I am in my travels and what Iām passionate about and love and thatās really good quality food, traditionally done,ā Watts said.
āThe bottom line is to deliver really high-quality food in a beautiful environment. It brings me a lot of joy to sit in my own venues.
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āI call Burleigh Heads my city slicker while the Currumbin venue is more about exposure to the ocean. There are some amazing venues on the water on the Gold Coast but they are little bit more upscale. I wanted to create something thatās accessible to everyone.ā
All items at both venues are made inhouse and include gourmet bagels, tartines, sandwiches, salads and coffee blends.
Watts cut her teeth in London, working with a top private chef, where she notably cooked for Duran Duranās bass guitarist John Taylor and his wife Gela Nash-Taylor, serving dishes on none other than Napoleonās antique dining plates and King Georgeās table.
āIām very drawn to high-quality food items without too much complication and I think bakery goods are such a good representation of that. They are not overcomplicated, it is the technique behind it that makes it something very special,ā Watts said.
āI spent a lot of time in New York and London and Paris and they exemplify that ode to quality from simple ingredients.
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āMy main motivation for travelling to these places was to set up a portfolio of ideas. I would go to a restaurant and order four or five plates of food on my own. I got a lot of exposure to some really good food.ā
Watts, who returned to the Gold Coast seven years ago, said what sets her businesses apart from her competitors was her focus on freshness.
āThe concept of glad wrapping food for the next day just doesnāt exist for us. Our attention to quality is paramount. Weāve got high standards of perfection,ā she said.
āI came back from overseas to an incredibly small town that has some of the best food like Melbourne and Sydney but on a smaller scale.
āThe Gold Coast is a culture that prioritises breakfast and lunch based on that early morning rising. We want to hit every aspect of that.
āHaving travelled to a lot of countries on the planet it just doesnāt get any better than here.ā
Watts, who employs 130 people across the two venues, has described herself as a āmum with a business, not a businesswoman with a child.ā
The mother of a two-year-old said future plans included āhaving another baby and then Iām sure youāll see more from us.ā
āYou have to have a plan but Iām also a big believer in following the universe and rolling with the punches,ā she said.
āMy whole ethos in this life is to be honest and kind.ā
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