The croissant revolution is here – new research confirms Brits love of pastries

Bridor, the leading French bakery manufacturer, is launching the ‘Croissant Revolution’ guide, highlighting the sizable sales opportunity croissants offer the hospitality sector at all times of day, backed by new consumer research.

The UK’s love affair with the humble croissant is evident, with the guide revealing that 93% of croissant buyers eat them at least once a week. Over half (55%) of Brits eat them up to twice a week, and nearly one-quarter (23%) enjoy the flaky goodness three to four times a week. The findings are the result of a recent UK survey conducted by the company*.

Croissants are the first choice for 95% of consumers when choosing a pastry and 88% state that the quality of croissants strongly influences their overall perception of an establishment.

The research also found that whilst breakfast is the most popular consumption occasion according to 83% of people, there are a notable number of consumers who choose croissants as an afternoon snack or an accompaniment to a coffee break.

Utilising Bridor’s 30 years of bakery know-how and industrial excellence, the ‘Croissant Revolution’ guide shares valuable insights to provide operators with the information they need to boost their croissant sales throughout the day. With 93% of consumers looking for an original taste when choosing a croissant, Bridor is encouraging operators to take advantage of the pastry’s versatility and upsell with a variety of savoury fillings or sweet toppings.

The guide also shines a light on how the hotel sector can maximise croissant sales, with 42% of hotel guests saying that croissants are a symbol of quality for a high-end establishment.

Erwan Inizan, Northern Europe Sales Director at Bridor, said: “We’ve been baking croissants for over 30 years now and they still have so much to offer. We truly believe a ‘Croissant Revolution’ is underway and our new guide shares valuable consumer insight to help operators understand the market and increase their croissant sales. Of course, a great-tasting and visually enticing croissant is fundamental to any Viennese pastry offering. Once this is in place, we firmly believe that hotels, cafés and bakeries can join the croissant revolution and see the benefits of offering a mix of sweet and savoury croissant options.

“In addition to classic offerings like the traditional plain croissant, we know that consumers are interested in trying out the latest flavour trends and innovative ingredients. Operators should maximise this opportunity and be creative with striking toppings and novel fillings to offer bespoke pastries to their customers throughout the day. Repeat footfall as a result of a robust pastry offering can reap strong sales for operators.”

Download the new ‘Croissant Revolution’ guide here: content.bridor.com/Bridor_Croissant-Revolution

Bridor offers an expansive range of croissants, including its new plant-based selection and trending pistachio-filled croissant. The full range of Bridor’s Viennese pastries is available to bakery and hospitality operators via all leading foodservice wholesalers.

*All data is from a Bridor study, conducted in UK, among 800 buyers of croissants at least once a week – Jan. 2025