Jessica Morgan-Helliwell confesses she prefers meeting friends for pastries over pints.
The 26-year-old is among an increasing group of individuals gravitating towards specialty bakeries in search of a perfect flaky croissant.
"These days, I find myself preferring a coffee and a pleasant stroll over going out and dealing with a hangover the following day. I might become a pastry enthusiast instead," she remarked.
Jessica and her mother, Louise, hailing from Swansea, frequently embark on journeys throughout the UK and even farther to seek out delectable pastries. They document these quests through photographs and video clips that they subsequently post online for their audience to enjoy.
The data indicates that they are not the only ones with a zeal for pastries.
The bakery sector in the UK is among the biggest within the food industry, with a value of £5.74 billion, as reported by the Federation of Bakers.
Research from the Open University indicates the amount of Small bakeries throughout the UK are increasingly becoming popular. , with almost one out of every five having been established since 2020.
The affection for gathering and enjoying pastries and bread with loved ones has been passed down through generations in this family.
Louise, who is 48 years old, explained, "My great-grandfather and his father both owned separate Italian cafés. The café run by my great-great-grandfather was located in Llanelli and named Sartori’s."
They confessed that there were no boundaries to how far they would go just to taste a specialty dish.
Jess mentioned that she recently traveled over an hour to visit a single bakery solely for purchasing a sandwich.
She mentioned that they plan to visit Marrakesh [in Morocco] in a few weeks and the very first thing she checked was the dining options.
At Pettigrew Bakery in Cardiff, David Le Masurier’s crew produces and distributes “hundreds of pastries daily” for customers such as Jessica and Louise.
David mentioned that he has definitely witnessed bakery tourism having a positive effect on his business, as international travelers include food destinations in their trip plans, driven by online trends and popular dishes.
He mentioned that they conducted thorough research. This involved exploring social media platforms, viewing various images, reading through reviews, and gathering tips from TikTok.
Individuals are coming in with their smartphones, especially those for whom English is not their primary language, and they’re displaying images or sharing reels, stating: ‘This is what I want’.
Customers can spend anywhere from £3.20 for a simple croissant to £4.50 for special limited-edition pastries — prices that David acknowledges fall outside the range of what would be considered everyday items.
However, he mentioned that with regard to the ingredients, covering costs for his "high-caliber" employees and ensuring profitability, the profit margins were "extremely narrow."
He mentioned that wages have risen significantly lately, and this directly affects the prices we must charge our customers.
Operating a culinary enterprise is extremely demanding.
What is it about delicate baked items that encourages people to spend their well-deserved money?
The lipstick effect
The food and travel author Ross Clarke opined that despite a cost-of-living crisis, individuals still had an inclination to indulge in minor luxurious goods.
This phenomenon is referred to as the lipstick effect, indicating that individuals tend to invest in minor luxuries such as lipstick when the economy declines.
He mentioned that people might be more willing to spend £4.50 on a pain au chocolat if it's considered something special, as it serves as a small indulgence.
Ross mentioned that food tourism is a worldwide trend, citing Iceland's popular ice cream excursions, referred to as ísbíltúr.
He mentioned that gastro-tourism is thriving, as well as eno-tourism, which includeswine-related activities.
"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 likely ranks among the top locations that should strongly promote this initiative.
Astrid Roussel, a French-born baker residing in Newport, South Wales for 17 years, noted that the local food culture has undergone significant changes, with residents now ready to pay premium prices for items characterized by craftsmanship and high quality.
She mentioned that people enjoy snapping photos of delicate, flaky pastries.
Indeed, spending £4 on a croissant is reasonable, yet it remains an attainable indulgence.
Ms Roussel said when she first moved to Wales, finding good pastry was difficult.
She mentioned that the quality of pastries available here now surpasses what was found in France.
Astrid mentioned that she was taken aback by the turnout of individuals who journeyed to South Wales for her baking workshops, covering everything from crafting croissants to mastering traditional French baguettes.
"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'!"
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