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Five of the best croissant bakeries in the UK
It’s World Croissant Day on 30 January. You didn’t know? I mean, où étais-tu, quite frankly? We’ve tracked down five of the best purveyors of the delicious flaky stuff
With its heritage, craft and Instagram-friendly layers, the humble croissant has become a comms smash via platforms like TikTok and Instagram. So for PRs working across food, hospitality or lifestyle, here are the bakeries worth testing.
Fallow, London
Located on Haymarket, this is one of the capital’s classier breakfast joints, a real foodie’s destination – and alongside its perfectly poached egg, and wild mushrooms on brioche, it serves some of the best croissants in London. Their savoury masterpieces include croissant royales, filled with sausage patty, bacon, and walnut ketchup – and the unapologetically decadent fried chicken royale with sriracha mayo and Szechuan honey. Oooh là là.
Pastille Bakery, Liverpool
The croissant is ever evolving. Its origins actually lie in Vienna – before the French transformed the crescent-shaped “kipferl” with layers of buttery, laminated dough in the 19th century. And with the arrival of the cruffin, a hybrid of a croissant and a muffin, invented by Kate Reid in 2013 at Lune Croissanterie in Melbourne, its evolution continues apace. You’ll find cruffins galore at this family-run business, among its weekly rotating menu of regular croissants, Basque cheesecakes, and cookies. They sell out quickly though, so check the socials to catch the day’s bakes before they vanish.
Find out more about Pastille Bakery
Lannan Bakery, Edinburgh
A relative newcomer, opened in July 2023, you’ll find some heavenly pastries here c/o the self-taught Scottish baker Darcie Maher, who began working in kitchens from around age 15 and later honed her skills in various bakeries and restaurants before launching Lannan. It blends classic viennoiserie with seasonal specials, using local produce – but the croissants, all artisanal masterpieces, steal the show, including chocolate & clementine pain suisse, cinnamon and cream cheese cremeux, and Bergamot and salted macadamia, all pre-orderable online via Lannan Pantry next door.
Find out more about Lannan Bakery
Pollen Bakery, Manchester
Sometimes, ‘flakiness’ is a virtue: and Pollen’s croissants are renowned for their impossibly crisp, buttery layers. Located in Kampus and Ancoats, this cult favourite rotates daily bakes without a fixed online menu – check Instagram for updates. But the main reason they’re here is because of their croissant butter, which has earned itself a viral status. Described by Pollen as “a crunchy sweet spread made with caramelised croissant crumbs and toasted white chocolate,” according to the Manchester Evening News, it’s a “breakfast gamechanger.”
Find out more about Pollen Bakery
Pettigrew Bakeries, Cardiff
Cardiff’s award-winning Pettigrew Bakeries (crowned Craft Bakery of the Year at the 2024 UK Baking Industry Awards) is the birthplace of the TikTok and Instagram smash crème brûlée croissant, featuring creamy custard and crackly torched sugar. And from January 2026, they’ve added the pistachio croissant: pistachio crème diplomat filling topped with handmade pistachio-shortbread crumb. They really are spoiling us.
Find out more about Pettigrew Bakeries
Ali Catterall is an award-winning writer, journalist and filmmaker whose writing has featured in the Guardian, Time Out, GQ, Film4, Word magazine and the Big Issue, among many others. Ali is also the writer and director of the 2023 film Scala!!!
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