What's with the Name?
One of the most common questions I get at the Farmers Market is: “What does Chez du Barry mean?”
Let’s start with the word chez. In French, it means “at the home of.” So Chez du Barry translates to “At the home of du Barry.” It is a phrase often used in France to name restaurants, cafés, or bakeries where the food feels like it is being served right from someone’s table. That is the feeling I want to create with my baking, something personal, rooted in tradition, and shared with love.
And then there is boulangerie, the French word for bakery. In France, a boulangerie is more than just a shop that sells bread. It is the heart of a neighborhood. It is where people stop each morning for their daily loaf, a croissant, or simply a warm hello. My dream has always been to bring a little of that spirit here, to bake bread that feels both nourishing and deeply connected to community.
The Family Story Behind the Name
The “du Barry” part of the name comes from my husband, James, whose last name is La Barrie. What many people may not know is that his family name has a fascinating and slightly mysterious origin that has been passed down for generations.
As the story goes, the La Barrie family are descendants of Madame du Barry, the infamous mistress of King Louis XV of France. When she faced the guillotine during the French Revolution, she had already borne two illegitimate sons to the king. To protect them, the boys were sent away on a Catholic sailing ship bound for the Caribbean island of Grenada. Their names were changed from du Barry to de la Barre and eventually to La Barrie to distance them from scandal.
Those two boys, George and Vincent, are said to be the roots of today’s La Barrie family. Over the years, the family spread throughout the Caribbean, with many settling in Antigua and Trinidad. James’s grandfather, George Vincent La Barrie, eventually left Grenada in the 1950s for Antigua, where he started the Barrymore Hotel.
By the 1980s the family expanded into the restaurant world, opening Dubarry’s, a French restaurant that became a local favorite (see a photo of the original menu below). James’ grandmother, Nell La Barrie, was a Cordon Bleu chef in the kitchen, while his parents, Conrad and Jennie, poured their hearts into managing it all. They ran the Barrymore Hotel by day and Dubarry’s by night, creating a place where food, hospitality, and family history were all woven together.
So when we chose the name Chez du Barry, it was not only because it sounded beautifully French but also because it carries with it a living family tradition. From hotels to restaurants to bakeries, the La Barrie family has always found ways to honor this piece of lore, whether fact or fiction. And now, through our sourdough breads and pastries, I get to continue that legacy.
Baking with Meaning
For me, baking has always been about more than flour, water, and salt. It is about the stories we share around bread, the connections we build through food, and the traditions that shape who we are. By calling our bakery Chez du Barry Boulangerie, I hope to invite you not only into our family’s story but also into the joy and nourishment of real bread.
When you pick up a loaf or a pastry from us at the Farmers Market, I want you to feel like you are stopping by a neighbor’s kitchen, because in a way, you are.
Thank you for being part of this journey with me. I am so grateful to bake for you and with you, and I look forward to sharing both bread and stories along the way.
— Marcella