“My life has been a series of experiences,” says Philip Ferret. “That’s what I’m trying to recreate here.”
Just two days after Hilton Head Social Bakery South opened in December, the parking lot was crowded at 8am with cars and loyal fans of ferret French toast, Instagram-worthy pastries, and croissants that locals consider the best ever. planet. They’re familiar with baked goods from Ferret’s first location, the Hilton Head Social Bakery in Shelter Cove Harbor and Marina. This second area of the Dairy Queen was opened once, but Ferret has made it his own.
Hilton Head Social Bakery South in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Verrett told me he’s been working since two in the morning, overwhelmed by special requests. The French-born chef in Normandy is used to working long hours in kitchens. He worked with his father in his family’s bakeries in Paris when he was a young boy, and trained as a chef in restaurants in France before moving to New York City. Verrett has led legendary restaurants such as Tavern on the Green and Windows on the World, owned several of his own restaurants and catering businesses, and hosted private parties for business leaders including Rupert Murdoch and companies such as L’Oreal. When he finally became concerned with the restaurant industry, he put his creative energies into building and designing furniture during his last three years at the Big Apple. But this was not the end of his culinary career.
Looking for a new adventure in life, in 2015 Ferret reached out to investors across the country regarding restaurant opportunities. The broker from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, was the first to respond. Intrigued by the prospect of island life (and the lack of snowstorms), Ferret first landed here in January 2016, and moved quickly, opening Hilton Head Social Bakery in October 2016. He initially built it as a production kitchen for a new restaurant, but Hurricane Matthew quickly changed those plans. . Ferret decided to focus on the independent bakery instead – and word spread.
most days, There is a line outside the door to its waterfront location. It’s a relaxing place where you can sit and watch the boats set sail while sampling a delicious lunch tart with a baguette. Even his father, a traditional French baker with strong opinions about ingredients and methods, agreed to use feret for the filling, a type of preference that ferrets include in the bread making process for added flavor and character. After his father flew to the island from France for a visit, he told Ferret, “This is not my recipe, but do not change a thing.”
In the early fall of 2021, Ferret began looking for another place to become his primary production kitchen and to expand his menu and seating. He found a former dairy queen and completely transformed her. “The concept is to tell the story and experiences of my life,” he says. A life shaped by rigorous culinary training, the places he lived and his passion for woodworking, design and motorcycles.
“When you walk through the front door and look left through the panes of glass, you can imagine yourself in New York City, in a loft overlooking an adjacent brownstone,” he says. The wood trim to the right of the door is built like an old factory – ferrets joined by stacked planks alongside old nails from the Brooklyn Bridge. The self-proclaimed chunky Ferret was hauling the truck on boards once used to bed garden beds of mushrooms that had Saved from farms in Pennsylvania. In the lobby by the front door, he honors his time as executive chef for Windows on the World with a framed and signed charger plate (by Feret).
In contrast to the subtle natural wood tones, a red 1941 World War II Indian motorcycle sits behind the counter. “I’ve been cycling since I was 16,” Verrett says. “It’s one of the reasons I came to America. I was fascinated by the movies where bikers ride west. I’ve even made the trip four or five times with other chefs.” He laughs. “That’s why the bike is heading west.”
Ferret bike behind the bakery counter.
Other than this touch of color and two small chandeliers, the room’s muted tones mean your attention goes straight to the food. “Pastry colors appear.” And what a pastry. Two of Feret’s favorites are the Chocolate Bluff (named after the neighboring town of Bluffton) made with chocolate ganache, layers of meringue, dark chocolate crust, and mille-feuille, with custard cream layered between stacks of pastry and topped with icing.
At the new location, Feret will soon be serving up daily homemade ice cream, gelato and sherbet sundaes and desserts. Honoring the tradition of making your own dessert in French holiday towns, Ferret hopes guests make their own blend of flavors—and recommends a blackberry sorbet with black collie, topped with chocolate ganache.
His offerings of crepes, pancakes, waffles, salads and sandwiches made with freshly baked croissants and brioche bread are called “luxury fast food”. The new location serves beer and wine in its indoor and outdoor seating, and Feret runs a drive-through for cappuccinos and pastries on the go.
Knowing that he won’t stay flat for long – Hilton Head residents and local visitors enjoy seeing all he cooks next – I look forward to a return trip soon to see what’s in the works for this master chef, artisan and baker. We come home with baguettes, crispy cartons, and even a traditional Christmas log (Bûche de Noël), share a hug and say Bye Until next time.