Our Story
It all began in 1983…
A Frenchman was in need of a good baguette to go with the cheese he was importing.
So he called a French baking school in Normandie and asked them to send over 6 bakers. From there, Le Panier was born.
Ever since, we strive to bring a taste of France to Seattle using pure ingredients and French methods.
Our Team
Kristi Drake and Christian Verbrugghe were there on opening day. Kristi was out front with customers and Christian was one of those original 6 bakers.
Our retail team is lead by Kate Drake who lives and breathes hospitality. Our bakers are lead by Victoria Cafferty whose background includes pastry production at the esteemed Pierre Hermé in Paris.
Our Values
Beyond the importance of making simply good food and offering genuine hospitality, we aspire to these values.
We work respecting traditional French baking methods.
We respect one another and show kindness at every opportunity.
We uphold fairness, authenticity, and respect.
We expect excellence from ourselves.
We honor determination and mindfulness.
We believe in generosity.
We love to nurture, to create, and to laugh.
A glimpse into our past
Through the years
An incredible amount has happened in our 40+ years in Pike Place Market. Here’s just a glimpse.
1983 | Hubert Loevenbruck opens Le Panier. Those 7 bakers from Normandie were just the beginning.
1995 | Le Panier simplifies from multiple shops to the single shop in Pike Place
1997 | Featured in the New York Times
2005 | New York Times Weekend with the Kids
2011 | Our Bûche de Noël is featured in Seattle Met Magazine
2012 | We celebrate our first Macaron Day Seattle
2015 | Fellow French bakers come to visit to dream up new products
2016 | For a short time our macarons were on Delta flights from Seattle to San Francisco and LA
2023 | LP turns 40
2025 | LP is featured in Pastry Arts Magazine
2025 | Pavlova Mangue & Passion wins Best Original Creation at French Fest Seattle
Thierry and Kristi back in the day
From our 2015 French baker visit
Our team in the Citroên
Mopping fun
Giving back to our community
We are proud to support our community through impactful donations. The Pike Place Market Foundation is just one way that we give back. Their work with preschoolers and the elderly as well as providing housing, a food bank and health services are impressively holistic. Our goods at the end of the day are often donated to the Food Bank.
Did you know pigs around the market are real piggy banks?
Macaron Day Seattle
Since 2012, we have celebrated Macaron Day where proceeds from these delightful French treats are donated to a different organization each year.
Sustainability
Minimizing food waste has been in our methods from the beginning. We produce a significant amount of product each day and end the day with just one compost bag. Any left over items from our cases get donated at the end of the day to the Pike Market Food Bank.
In recent years, we’ve sourced compostable boxes, tissue, bags, cups, straws and more. While we have made huge strides to reduce waste, we are continuing to find ways to improve and do our part to reduce our impact on the planet.