Local Business Neighbor Feature: Leslie's French Pastries
Michelle Lemire and Amber Briem have recently had the distinct pleasure of getting to know one of Holladay’s most established and enduring business owners, Bill Leslie, owner of Leslie’s French Pastries, located at 2308 E Murray Holladay Rd.
Baker Bill, as Michelle and Amber have taken to calling him, at first seemed shy, more comfortable in the kitchen, apron donned, than up in the bakery storefront. We practically had to bribe him to let us film the video.
Looks can be deceiving . . . like Bill’s famous eclairs, there is more than meets the eye! Bill is no more shy and unassuming than a six tiered wedding cake! He is also quite the comedian. You can’t spend much time with him without hearing his jokes. “Why do cows wear bells? Because their horns are broken!”
It all started in Scotland where Bill’s grandfather was a baker. He passed that along to Bill’s father, who brought his talents right here to us in Utah. Bill’s father, mother and two sisters came to America in 1948. Bill was born here in 1950. His family came to Holladay when he was a young child. He remembers orchards, horses, pastures, chickens and large gardens.
He experimented with alter vocations, such as construction, but as a young man of 25, he and his father opened up Leslie’s French Pastries together. Bill says baking was “bread” into him, one of Bill’s many jokes.
Leslie’s French Bakery has always been a family business. His lovely wife, Kim works there, and all four of his children have worked there at some point in their lives. They are a tight knit family and it shows. Bill and Kim have twelve grandchildren. They remodeled their home in Holladay so the whole clan can gather together in the same room!
There are a few times a year when Bill and his family take a break and get cooking on other adventures. If you have been deliberating what to add to your bucket list, take a cue from Bill’s travels.
From hiking Machu Picchu and traveling in Peru, to South Africa, Lake Louise, Canada, all over the United States and fifteen trips to Scotland. Like rising bread dough, Bill’s travel and adventure portfolio are always expanding! Next to check off his bucket list are the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.
When Bill is not traveling, he keeps busy with hobbies such as sky-diving, boating at Lake Powell with his 1962 Chris-Craft boat, enjoying his vintage cars, driving route 66, hot-air ballooning, and hang-gliding, just to name a few.
Leslie’s is known for their eclairs. They once did an order of 3,500! Everything they make is “pure barry”. They even offer a few traditional Scottish “tidy scrans”, such as Forfar Bridies, sausage rolls and meat pies.
If you have not had the luxury of experiencing the myriad of tasty treats at Leslie’s, come on in and take take a “wee gander”!
