The family of a popular Herefordshire restaurateur raises money for the hospice where he died.
They sell fruit cakes in memory of Pascal Clarenne to support St. Michael’s Hospice in Hereford.
Mr. Clarenne was known and loved in Ledbury, where he ran his own café for 14 years.
He started making and selling the cakes while he was being cared for in the hospice.
His daughter Sophie said: “Now my father has passed away, his wish was that his wife and daughter carry on his legacy.
“In Herefordshire we will be making and selling flavors such as pear, apricot, peach, almond, plum and raspberry, as well as mixed fruits.
“We’ll have a gluten-free option cake and hearty quiches like leeks and brie.”
Mr. Clarenne died in the hospice on Wednesday, April 7th.
His wife Janie said of his passion and determination, “His pastries kept him going. It was an absolute passion and he loved it. He had a great mind and just kept fighting. ”
Mr. Clarenne, who formerly owned Chez Pascal on New Street in Ledbury, saw a number of signs of life after closing his shop last summer, including his 60th birthday in January and his 30th wedding anniversary in March.
On Valentine’s Day, when he was at home after the first of two stays in the hospice, he was able to make 20 tarts and send them to loyal customers who had given the special touch of Pascal Clarenne.
Unfortunately, despite a crowdfunding campaign that raised £ 6,000, he was unable to match his ambition to return to his native France for another visit.
The Covid crisis and increasingly poor health left him unable to travel, but part of the funds were used to “bring France to him” with a visit from his sister, brother and nephew last August, when the Covid restrictions were relaxed.
Ms. Clarenne said: “We had a really nice week.”
Part of the remaining funds will be used to send half of his ashes to Mr Clarenne’s sister in Biarritz, France, while the other half of his ashes will remain in Herefordshire.
Mr. Clarenne grew up in northern France near the French border and completed a pastry shop in Charleville-Mézières.
He and his wife ran their Ledbury café, originally Cafe Sez on High Street, for a decade before moving to the former Malthouse Restaurant and renaming it Chez Pascal in 2013.
In 2017 they moved again, this time settling in the former Delilah’s Cafe on New Street until Mr Clarenne revealed his fight against metastatic lung cancer in the summer of 2020.
In recent years, Chez Pascal had supported local initiatives, including the Big Breakfast, where many cafes and restaurants presented the best of local food and drink.
Announcing the closure of Chez Pascal last August, Pascal said: “We have weathered several storms over the years and the increasing competition in the city business has been fierce.
“This year, with the floods and the coronavirus, it was a challenge.
“However, after a recent admission with pneumonia, I was diagnosed with cancer and we decided to focus on my treatment. Let’s call it early retirement.”