About Quick Crêpes
Who we are
We’re a family business that started in 1988 and which has grown to become Europe’s largest crêpe business, with customers and partners throughout Europe and the Middle East.
Here’s some history about where we came from.
The dream
Our founder Hans Parker was always late to school. The reason for this (other than his extremely poor time-keeping) was the tiny French crêpe kiosks near his school.
You see, whenever his mum had passed any of the countless small crêperies they’d see as he grew up in various places around Europe, he would always be dragged in to try their delicious French pancakes.
It was always his mum’s dream to open a crêperie in the UK, where crêpes were then still largely unknown. Inevitably the prioritisation of crêpes over classrooms had taken took root and so, despite graduating with a Psychology degree from Durham, Hans insisted on opening his first of many crêperies and together they created Quick Crêpes.
Early beginnings
Throughout the gnarly nineties and noisy noughties, Hans expanded the business to become the UK’s largest crêpe operator, selling his delicious Quick Crêpes everywhere throughout the UK: from Live8 and Formula 1, to businesses like Mercedes Benz and even in various movie star’s private parties.
The next steps
While most of this time was spent eating the crêpes, Hans did manage to focus a little on perfecting the unique secret recipe centred on the holy trinity of Aroma, Texture and Flavour that worked harmoniously for both sweet and savoury fillings.
We need our own crêpe mix!
In the mid-nineties, however, an unsuspecting young Irish woman by the name of Jackie was roped into not only a marriage with Hans, but a lifelong relationship with crêpes. As a health professional with a penchant for nutrition, Jackie revolutionised the product Hans had created by introducing buckwheat to the mix, for a crispier crêpe recreating the authentic French taste and texture that he so loved.
Too good to keep to ourselves
The family spirit at the core of Quick Crêpes only developed as Hans and Jackie’s equally as unsuspecting (but half as Irish) sons decided they had a couple of thoughts on mum and dad’s ‘pancake thing.’ As typical kids with a penchant for nothing except that which is easy and instant, they convinced Hans and Jackie to make crêpes ‘easy.’ So they worked with nutrition experts to develop a crêpe mix that you only had to add water to, instead of that whole ‘eggs and milk malarkey’ the boys weren’t fond of.
Let's open some stores
Next Hans started opening crêperies in towns in the UK and Ireland, creating a simple franchise model which now has over 20 cool stores operating as either Quick Crêpes or using our alternative branding Maple Moose.
The next step
And so, thirty years on we are not just serving up crêpes to the nation’s hungry school-skippers and crazed commuters but also providing that same avant-garde mix to crêperies, cafés and restaurants all over Europe, as well as establishing crêperies in the UK from Bury to the Middle East. So if you’d like to learn more about what we’ve got planned next, or want help setting up your own store, then contact us!
A message from our founder
Thank you for choosing my traditional crêpe mix – now you can enjoy crêpes as delicious as the ones you had while strolling through Paris or skiing in the Alps. Since 1988 our family business has served well over one million of our special French Pancakes.
I hope you enjoy this authentic family recipe, made with only natural ingredients, which has proven so popular over the years with our customers, friends and family alike.
- Hans Parker