A couple say they are thrilled to see their hard work is paying off after opening a market stall at Swindon's Designer Outlet

Maddie and Sergiu Ene, a Romanian couple who have lived in Swindon for the past five years, opened Choux Chef in May to combine Sergiu’s background as a chef with their desire to spend more time together as a family with their three-year-old daughter.

After planning the business for more than a year, the pair now make homemade French éclairs, New York-style cookies and tiramisu from their kitchen and deliver across Swindon, as well as popping up at other market events in Oxford and Gloucester.

On Sunday, September 8, the pair held their second market event outside the Designer Outlet, offering everything from coconut éclairs to pistachio cookies and Biscoff tiramisu, as well as samples for passers-by to enjoy. 

Sergiu said: “It’s 24/7. We live right across the street and we are so close to the Designer Outlet and always wanted to trade here, now we’re here, and we’re so happy.

“It’s something we always wished for. I’m telling everyone to have a taste of the products, they look nice and taste nice. They are not too sweet as we are not using that much sugar.

(Image: Choux Chef)

“Éclairs are hard to make but so good. We started with eclairs, but nobody was buying them in Oxford as they didn’t know what they were. I love tiramisu and I said ‘Let’s introduce that because it’s a product everyone knows’, so everyone was buying them.

“I want to teach everyone what an éclair is because they are nice. We make them with pastry cream exactly like in France. And soon we will do some chocolate bars.

“In the winter I like cooking inside and it will be hard to be at the markets when it’s raining. I want a shop, it’s my dream.

“I’m also an interior designer and I’m building my kitchen. I’d like to make the shop myself and then sell our products in the shop.

"We’re doing deliveries and online orders here from home, we post on social media, people order from us and we deliver every day.

“We’re open to everything - we like challenges and if we can do it, we will do it and if we can’t, we will learn how to do it", Sergiu added.