Wed, 11 Jun 2025

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 The Korean bakery chain that says croissants don't have to be French

Asian bakeries are seeing success at home and abroad by bringing global flavours to traditional French pastries.

* Paris Baguette is a Korean bakery chain with 4,000 stores across 14 countries.
* It was founded by SPC Group, which also employs 20,000 people and has sales of $5.6bn (£4.26bn) per year.
* The company plans to open over 1,000 new branches internationally by 2030, with a focus on the US market.
* Paris Baguette has partnered with English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur to provide baked goods and desserts at their matches.
* The company uses frozen dough in its bakeries around the world to improve efficiency and extend shelf life.
* Asia has a strong heritage of baked goods, but there is growing demand for on-the-go convenience foods due to rapid urbanisation and changing lifestyles.
* Paris Baguette is responding to this demand by opening a halal-certified plant in Malaysia to supply customers in South East Asia and the Middle East.
* The company's use of frozen dough has been tested through a blind taste test, with results showing that it can be difficult to distinguish from artisanal bread.
* However, experts believe that Asian bakeries have an opportunity for success globally due to the popularity of Korean and Japanese culture around the world.
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