Live Your 'Great British Bake Off' Dreams on This London Pastry Crawl

[Celerity]

With dozens of innovative bakeries and the premiere of the hit series' musical adaptation, there's never been a sweeter time to visit.

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/great-british-bake-off-pastry-crawl-london



As an unabashed Anglophile and food writer, one of my favorite methods of self-care is watching reruns of The Great British Bake Off. During the deepest stages of lockdown, watching contestants fumble their way through one of Paul Hollywood’s challenges—only to be rewarded in a later round with one of his coveted handshakes—was an incredible balm for my stress-addled soul. So, when I realized that a Great British Bake Off musical was in the works for March in London’s West End, I knew it was time to plan the ultimate pastry crawl in England’s capital—featuring a sufficient number of sweet treats to justify the trip, and culminating in a viewing of Bake Off the musical. Before I arrived, I consulted dozens of Best Of lists from magazines and food world luminaries, but my secret weapon was Crystelle Pereira, former GBBO finalist and fellow pastry nut. Pereira—bless her—not only sent me an extensive list of bakeries beforehand, but was also willing to put her cookbook testing on hold (Flavor Kitchen comes out in June) to accompany me on a massive, carbo-loading field trip.



Where to stay for a London pastry crawl

My planning started with finding a hotel. I wanted to be close to the West End in order to easily attend the musical, but I was also looking for a place with its own stellar pastry program. One name popped up again and again: The Corinthia. Not only a popular accommodation for actors while they’re starring in West End productions, the hotel also boasts one of the city’s most popular and indulgent afternoon tea services, plus phenomenal baked goods. The morning I arrived—after a rather bumpy red-eye flight—I was immediately swept off to the dining room, where a plate of buttery, shatter-crisp croissants was quickly procured. I then passed out on my plush king-sized bed, in a room that was ever so lightly scented with citrus. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a better greeting to a city than that.



Eat your way through Covent Garden

I met up with Pereira to begin our tour in Covent Garden, home to some of the city’s more classic bakeries. According to Pereira, the lines at Arôme Bakery can often be out the door by 9 am, so it’s good to get an early start. Over a still-warm slice of their popular honey butter toast, I asked her why she thought the bakery scene was exploding in popularity as of late. “We are really fortunate in London that there is such a big influence of different cuisines. You have incredible Korean food, Middle Eastern food, food from all over,” she said. “And so what you’re starting to see, especially in recent years, is this rise in really innovative flavors.” To wit: our second pastry at Arôme was a savory sausage and cheese croissant, slicked with Japanese barbecue sauce; a tasty marriage of past and present England.



As a New Yorker, I found Covent Garden to be a unique mix of attractions. You have many of the performing arts theaters here, but unlike Times Square, there are also charming side streets with boutique shops, as well as many of the city’s best nightlife venues. And, of course, there is a preponderance of bakeries. After we left Arôme, we walked a few blocks to Buns From Home, a mini-chain with pillowy-soft cinnamon rolls and gargantuan “dessert buns.” We opted for the special of the week, a flaky pastry base overflowing with a whipped tahini cream, poached apples, and sesame crumble. To say it was triumphant would be an understatement. Then in quick succession, we swung by a number of tasty establishments. We stopped at famed restaurant St. John’s Neal’s Yard Bakery for a rhubarb donut, then Bageriet for classic Swedish cinnamon buns so redolent you could smell them down the block. We had ultra-flaky zaatar and Gruyère croissants at Chestnut Bakery before finally resting for a moment at Japanese patisserie WA Cafe, where we sipped black sesame lattes alongside a slice of matcha-chocolate gateau.



Visit buzzy bakeries in Dalston and Hackney............

snip

[pandr32]

1. Bloody yum!