NORWICH – Roger Bransol began his culinary career in France at age 13, operated an enormously popular French bakery in the heart of New York City and now has designs to open a high-caliber French bakery in the Town of Norwich on Nov. 1. The bakery, called La Maison Blanche, French for “The White House,” will be opening in a remodeled home just north of Wal-Mart, a couple hundred feet from the intersection.

For more than 40 years, often for 50 or more hours a week, Bransol has labored behind kitchen doors creating a vast array of pastries, breads and cakes. He also attended a French culinary school in France while continuing to operate his own business. Bransol and his life partner Miby Kim confess that they are growing tired of the constant barrage of demands placed upon them while working in New York City. Slowly over the last few years, the couple has migrated to the Guilford area and purchased a home there a few years ago.