Latest news with #pastry
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Bakery tourism: The pastry pilgrims who travel miles for croissants
Jessica Morgan-Helliwell admits she would rather meet her mates for a pastry than a pint. The 26-year-old is part of a growing number of people flocking to craft or artisan bakeries in pursuit of a flaky croissant."I do find myself these days more inclined to go for a coffee and a nice walk than going out and feeling a bit hungover the next day. I could be a pastry pilgrim," she and her mum, Louise, from Swansea, think nothing of travelling across the UK and beyond in pursuit of delicious bakes, photos and videos of which they then share online with their followers. Data suggests they are not alone in their passion for UK's bakery market is one of the largest in the food industry, worth £5.74bn, according to the Federation of University research suggests the number of small bakeries across the UK is on the rise, with nearly one in five founded since 2020. The mother and daughter's love of socialising over pastries and breads runs in the family."Both my great-grandpa and my great-great-grandpa had their own Italian cafes. My great-great-grandpa's cafe was in Llanelli and was called Sartori's," said Louise, 48. The pair admitted there was "no limit" on how far they would travel to sample a delicacy. Jess said she recently drove more than an hour to one bakery just to buy a sandwich."We're going to Marrakesh [in Morocco] in a couple of weeks and the first thing that I've looked at is the eateries," she added. At Pettigrew Bakery in Cardiff, David Le Masurier's team bakes and sells "thousands of pastries a day" to consumers like Jessica and Louise. David said he had "absolutely" seen bakery tourism positively impact his business, with international travellers building food spots into their trips, influenced by online trends and viral dishes. "They have done their research. They've gone onto social media, they've seen images. They've read reviews. They're getting tips off TikTok," he said."People are literally walking in with their phones, particularly if English isn't their first language, and they're holding up pictures or showing us reels and saying: 'I want this'." Customers pay anything from £3.20 for a plain croissant to £4.50 for "limited edition" bakes - prices which David accepts are outside of the bracket of "everyday products". But he said between the ingredients, paying for his "quality" staff and making a profit, margins were "very small". "Wages have increased quite dramatically just recently and that does translate straight to the prices that we have to pass on to the customer," he said."Running a food business is incredibly challenging."So what is it about flaky baked goods that makes people part with their hard-earned cash? The lipstick effect Food and travel writer Ross Clarke said he believed that even in a cost-of-living crisis, people were inclined to splurge on small luxury is a concept known as the lipstick effect, which suggests that people are more likely to spend on small luxury goods - like lipstick - during economic downturns."I think people are more inclined to maybe shell out £4.50 for a pain au chocolat if it's something special, because it's that little treat," he said. Ross said food tourism was a global phenomenon, referring to Iceland's famous ice cream tours, known as ísbíltúr. "Gastro-tourism is booming, also eno-tourism, so wine," he said."People [are] going places purely for the food or the drink."What a lovely thing that you can go and support local businesses, hopefully, and eat in the great restaurants and try all of these amazing things."Wales is probably right up there with places that should push this as a big thing."French-born baker Astrid Roussel, who has lived in Newport, south Wales, for 17 years, said the local food scene had "changed massively" with people willing to pay for "craft" and "quality"."People love to take pictures of pretty flaky pastries," she said."Yes, £4 for a croissant is good money to pay but it's an affordable luxury." Ms Roussel said when she first moved to Wales, finding good pastry was difficult."The quality of pastry I can get here now is better than in France," she said she was surprised by the number of people who travelled to south Wales for her baking workshops, which range from croissant-making to traditional French baguette classes."I had one woman come to my course from Canada. She was coming to Cardiff anyway but purposely picked when I had availability. I was like 'wow'!"
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
Meet the pastry chef known as the Scone Master
Deep in the underbelly of the Fairmont Empress – when the streets of Victoria are still dark and quiet, the historic hotel's guests are still fast asleep and the colourful tulips in the gardens are still closed against the morning chill – Joga Kaler gets to work. Kaler is a chef de partie at the historic hotel, which means he's responsible for a particular station within its two-floor basement kitchen. In his case, his task is to focus on one fluffy, buttery pastry: the scone. He arrives at work every weekday at 3 a.m. and begins the process of making these treats, which have become synonymous with the hotel's wildly popular afternoon tea. On average, he makes 600 a day. Kaler moved to Victoria from India in 1974, when he was just 17, encouraged by an uncle who lived in the city and spoke of its growing employment opportunities. He drove a taxi and worked at an auto body shop before landing a job at the Fairmont Empress. He has now been with the hotel for 43 years, starting in the stewarding department in 1982 and moving to the kitchen in 1989, quickly catching the eye of David Hammond, the hotel's executive chef at the time. Hammond paid a visit to Buckingham Palace and brought its cherished scone recipe back to Victoria with him, appointing Kaler the scone chef de partie in 1991. Since then, Kaler has become the hotel's Scone Master – that's what the internal team calls him – having made, by recent estimate, more than 8.4 million perfectly round, sweet-but-not-too-sweet golden raisin scones over his tenure. These heavenly morsels are an integral part of the hotel's afternoon tea. A tradition since the Fairmont Empress opened in 1908, the service is now considered to be the busiest in North America (even, impressively, busier than some in London), with an average of 450 people from all over the world booking as far as a year in advance to snag a seat. Guests are able to select their flavour of tea from an extensive menu – including the Empress Blend, which Elizabeth II drank when she visited the hotel in 2002. Bites are presented on three tiers of royal china created to mimic the original dishware George VI and Elizabeth I presented to the hotel in 1939. Among the goodies, diners might find the Coronation Chicken Sandwich (curried chicken framed by bouncy brioche) or the Midnight Bloom Dark Chocolate Bar with rose tea ganache. It's all delicious, to be sure, but it's the scones that most people will never forget. Baked fresh every day and served with clotted cream and jam, they are pure comfort: soft, moist, perfectly flaky. For Kaler, making them has become a form of meditation. Each morning, he arrives at work and checks the reservations log to see how many guests are confirmed for tea that day (there may be additional scone requests, as well, for banquets, for example). Then he starts baking, churning out what equals approximately two scones a minute. He never refers to his recipe book – he hasn't in 34 years. 'I used the recipe maybe four times,' he recalls. 'After that, I never looked at it.' That means his scones are pure intuition – and, given that he's remained in the job for more than three decades, there's got to be a whole lot of joy baked in, too.
Hospitality Net
6 days ago
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Yudith Bustos Taleno has been appointed Executive Pastry Chef at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Adorn Bar & Restaurant, located on the seventh floor of Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, announces the appointments of new Executive Pastry Chef Yudith Bustos Taleno. This new addition further elevates Adorn's commitment to creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation in both its culinary and beverage programs. Chef Yudith brings creativity, discipline, and heart to her role as Executive Pastry Chef at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, where she leads the pastry program at Adorn Bar & Restaurant. Known for her refined technique, artistic presentations, and thoughtful leadership, she crafts desserts that are as beautiful as they are flavourful, while mentoring the next generation of pastry chefs. Originally from Costa Rica, Yudith fell in love with baking at a small neighbourhood bakery - a moment that sparked her culinary path. After attending culinary school, she worked in leading kitchens around the world, including the InterContinental in San José and several Four Seasons properties in Costa Rica, Dallas, Scottsdale, and Washington, DC. Her passion for growth led her to train at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and London, experiences that shaped her elegant presentation and global perspective. During her eight years in Washington, DC, she deepened her commitment to excellence, collaboration, and mentorship, values that continue to define her approach today. A dedicated mentor, Yudith fosters a kitchen culture rooted in learning and creativity. Just as she was supported early in her career, she now empowers young pastry chefs to grow with confidence, humility, and curiosity.
Malay Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
How 36 Degree Bakehouse got customers clamouring after their Earl Grey lemon yuzu bagels and peach oolong pretzels
KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — You might have noticed these two perky pastry chefs at a night market or weekend bazaar near you. With a cheerful smile, they will be thrilled to explain every single flavour of bagels on offer to you. This is the duo behind 36 Degree Bakehouse: Lee Min An, 25, and Kong Cheng Yee, 24. Prior to launching their bagel business, they were both graduates in pastry-making at local culinary and baking schools, and had worked at a multi-chain bakery for a couple of years. Lee shares, 'We had often wondered why there weren't bagels with fillings. This was prior to 2023, when the majority of the bagels had their accompaniments separately served on the side.' Today their filled bagel flavours run the gamut from healthy options such as Oat, Poppy Seed, and Black & White Sesame as well as more decadent offerings including Double Chocolate, Matcha Milky and Coffee. Those who prefer savoury bagels aren't left out: try their Baked Chicken Sausage, Jalapeño Cheese or Ham & Cheese. A bit of Taiwanese-Japanese flair comes through in their Peanut Sesame Brown Sugar Mochi and Charcoal Taro Floss bagels. Popular bagels: Earl Grey Lemon Yuzu (left) and Charcoal Taro Floss (right). — Picture courtesy of 36 Degree Bakehouse However, the customer favourite has to be their Earl Grey Lemon Yuzu bagels. Kong explains, 'Earl Grey and lemon yuzu are both popular traditional fine dessert flavours, but we never experienced them together on pastries. The results were surprisingly good, both from a recipe perspective as well as our customers' acceptance.' Even with positive feedback from their regulars, the reality is that there are so many bagel makers these days. How does 36 Degree Bakehouse stand out from the pack? Kneading and rolling dough. — Picture courtesy of 36 Degree Bakehouse Lee shares, 'A lot of bagel places are more traditional where the customer is required to dine in to get the 'full' experience. We aim to change that by trying to make the bagel eating experience more hand-held and on-the-go.' This approach was easier said than done; solely selling online felt too impersonal in the beginning, whereas opening a physical shop felt like too much of a risk. It turned out that launching a bagel business was more than simply kneading and rolling dough. Kong recalls, 'When we were starting 36 Degree Bakehouse in the early days with little to zero capital, we had to look at other options to have the most impact while also providing a closer relationship with our customers for product feedback.' Limited edition bagel flavours include Pistachio Raspberry (left) and Garlic Cream Cheese (right). — Picture courtesy of 36 Degree Bakehouse Therefore, rather than depending solely on an online presence (where there was too much noise with various competitors, including those with an advertising budget), the duo decided to venture into night markets as their main channel of sales and promotion. Lee says, 'We had countless sleepless nights, spending most of our time baking and running our stalls at various night markets. That took a little while to get used to.' Being a pastry chef and running a pastry business are two different skill sets, of course. This is a lesson many eager young pastry chefs have had to learn when they try to start their own business after a few years working at bakeries or even when freshly graduated. Peach Oolong Pretzel (left) and Strawberry Cream Cheese Pretzel (right). — Picture courtesy of 36 Degree Bakehouse Kong agrees: 'While we were experienced in pastry making, the initial challenges we faced were in learning how to do a business. There are many other factors that need to be considered.' Happily, their business has stabilised substantially compared to their humble beginning. A stream of regular customers. A full-fledged website where they can announce new or limited edition bagel flavours such as Pistachio Raspberry and Garlic Cream Cheese. They have also begun to expand their repertoire to include non-bagel baked goods, from sourdough breads to focaccia. Their latest products are pretzels, with unique flavours such as Peach Oolong and Strawberry Cream Cheese. Best of all might be the continued joy in working together. Of course, things can always be even better, as they both share: 'The big dream is to have our own little shop!' Working together. — Picture courtesy of 36 Degree Bakehouse 36 Degree Bakehouse Pre-order 2 days in advance here. IG: @36degreebakehouse Also catch them at weekly markets: Mon (SS2), Wed (Taman Connaught), Sat (Setia Alam) and Sun (Kepong Baru) 5pm-10pm
Bloomberg
26-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Charterhouse Sells Gelato Maker Casa Optima to Terlos
Charterhouse Capital Partners has agreed to sell Casa Optima, a gelato and pastry ingredient maker, to a group of investors led by consumer-focused private equity firm Terlos, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal with Terlos, which counts IAG Chairman Javier Ferrán and an Abu Dhabi Investment Authority unit as limited partners, could be announced as soon as Tuesday, the people said. The transaction values Casa Optima at nearly €900 million ($1 billion) including debt, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.
