Brand Spotlight | Flora & Fauna

An Interview with Executive Chef Annie of Flora & Fauna

What started as a childhood curiosity has now become a full-fledged culinary feat in Flora & Fauna: a charming little bakery in Starland that hosts brunch goers by day and a three-course supper club by night. Helmed by Executive Chef Annie, Flora & Fauna has taken up residence in the much-beloved Back in the Day space with the blessing of former-owner Cheryl Day, and are making their footprint in Savannah while honoring the legacy that came before. 

We were so excited to have the chance to speak with Executive Chef Annie, and are delighted to officially welcome Flora & Fauna as The Paris Market Café’s new supplier of sandwiches, baguettes, and several select pastries! 

Origin Story  

Her first experience with French cuisine came when Annie was invited to a birthday party at her friend’s father’s restaurant. It was the only French establishment in Beaufort, SC, and as she decorated cookies she looked at all the clean, stainless steel appliances and rows of perfect preparations behind plastic or glass, and something awoke. 

She started baking in her family kitchen. As a teen, she opted to take French so she could attend pastry school in Paris. And when she turned fourteen, her family took a trip to the romantic city so that she could confirm it was a dream she wanted to realize—and of course, she fell in love, describing her first attempts to eat a crepe with her mom while nutella dripped on their purses. 

Chef Annie describes that trip and the subsequent French classes as a sort of gateway. One of the first assignments was to fill in a recipe for tarte tatin, and she realized that if she could fully grasp the language, it would open up an entire world she wouldn’t otherwise have access to. 

The final building block was a catering job in college, where Annie encountered her first female chef in person, describing it as incredibly empowering to her own journey. That, combined with French led Annie to living a full year in Paris, attending pastry school and gathering all the skills she’d eventually apply as Executive Chef of Flora & Fauna.

What sets the Flora & Fauna pastry case and sandwiches apart? 

All of the dough is pre-fermented! It’s a process that takes a little extra time, but yields an exceptional flavor, and just as is the French way, quality is everything. 

Half the flour is an heirloom French varietal called Ble Marquis, grown and milled in South Carolina, while the other half comes from King Arthur, known for its strength, flavor, and the company’s ethics. 

But in conversation about ingredients, Chef Annie let us in a little further: she wants to support local or regional small farms, but also has a passion for making her creations accessible. It’s important to her that everyone find something they can enjoy. 

So the dairy (besides the butter) comes from local farms. Most of the produce arrives from small, Buford growers Chef Annie knew growing up. They stick to seasonality (a nod to both her French training and personal beliefs), and allow a florist to sell a variety of bouquets from the store. It creates a warm, natural flair in the environment, reflected in both pastry and presence.

Any preferences of flavor or creation at the moment? 

Pastry may have begun Executive Chef Annie’s journey, but bread has her heart now—specifically baguettes. She claimed she can tell how a day is going to play out by how the baguettes turn out, be it crispy or extra-golden, or with characteristic curls of steam fresh out the oven. 

But her trade secret to testing a new bakery is to try their pain au chocolat. The Flora & Fauna creation is gently fermented, and then wrapped around coco noelle bars—not too sweet, not too bitter. 

Final thoughts:

We sincerely hope you fall as much in love with Flora & Fauna as we have over the last few weeks of solidifying menus and working with Chef Annie as well as the rest of the team. Try out their French-inspired goods in our café, and then go for the three-course dinner experience, or a morning coffee at their home location in Starland for yourself!