By Jacqui Bialocki
As Bastille Day approaches, thoughts turn to the food, wine and traditions that make French culture so loved around the world. For Loïc Duchet, co-founder of Portsea favourites Pompette and Le Capucin, the annual celebration is also a chance to reflect on the journey that brought him from a small village in southwest France to the Mornington Peninsula.
His memories of Bastille Day – July 14 – are distinctly French. Growing up near Bordeaux, the day was spent celebrating in the streets, moving from bar to bar with friends, savouring special dishes, enjoying a glass or two of red wine and embracing the occasion with a healthy dose of French flair.
Today, Loïc and his wife, Kirsty, have created their own piece of France in seaside Portsea, where authentic hospitality, exceptional food and a genuine love of bringing people together sit at the heart of both venues.
Before entering hospitality, Loïc spent much of his career in retail management, yet food and the rituals surrounding it were always woven into family life. Inspired by a culture built on sharing meals, cooking traditional recipes and gathering around the table, he made a career change nine years ago. “I still wanted to work with people,” he said, “but I wanted to share French food and the culture I grew up with.”
That culture is evident from the moment guests arrive. Rather than formal service, Loïc believes French hospitality is about camaraderie, humour, and creating an atmosphere where people can relax. “Bringing a smile to someone’s face is a must – through the food, but also through the company and service.”
While deeply rooted in French traditions, the menus at Pompette and Le Capucin are shaped by the extraordinary produce of the Peninsula. From fresh seafood and premium meats to wild mushrooms, truffles and artisan cheeses, Loïc believes the region offers everything needed to recreate the flavours of home.
Among the dishes closest to his heart are those that evoke memories of family and place. And nothing feels more like home cooking when using the traditional capucin cooking vessel, used to flambé oysters with pork lard, remains deeply personal. “It creates incredible flavour and theatre. Many people have never seen one before.”
If Loïc could transport diners to one moment that captures the essence of French living, it would be a winter evening at his family home: around the fireplace, cooking wild game with his parents using the capucin, gathering mushrooms from nearby forests and opening special bottles of wine.
It is this sense of warmth, connection and shared experience that Loïc hopes guests take away from every visit. “I want people to leave talking about the time they spent here; the food, of course, but also the fun, the hospitality and the feeling that for a few hours they forgot about the stresses of everyday life.”
For Bastille Day and beyond, that may be the most French gift of all. Visit pompetteportsea.com.au and lecapucin.com.au
