A mother and daughter journey the world in quest of the last word pastry — and say their favourite is a sizzling cross bun croissant at their native bakery.
Jessica Morgan-Helliwell, 26, and her mom, Louise Church, 48, are ‘Bakery Vacationers’ — attempting posh treats at artisan bakeries from Australia to Prague and Marrakesh.
They share a love of pastries and bakes — and for the final two years have been touring the world to seek out the very best and most unusual bakeries.
They attempt to go to a minimum of one new artisan bakery every weekend and plan their journeys overseas round them.
The duo share their finds on their social media accounts beneath the deal with @loveeatdrinktravel.
Their favorites embody in Prague the place on the Artic Bakehouse they’d a cherry bomb pastry and at Brooki Bakehouse in Brisbane, an almond croissant cookie
However regardless of journeys to London, Marrakesh and extra, Morgan-Helliwell and Church say their all-time favourite spot is simply eight miles from their house.
Their greatest choose is a sizzling cross bun croissant at Little Valley Bakery in Swansea South Wales.
“That they had croissants with the long-lasting sizzling cross bun cross on high, and a buttery raisin filling — and it did truly style like a sizzling cross bun. It was actually distinctive,” mentioned Church.
Morgan-Helliwell added: “It had buttery spiced frangipane, flaky croissant layers, and that iconic sizzling cross bun cross.”
Morgan-Helliwell added: “We’ve at all times had a love for pastries and bakes.
“We’ve obtained Italian heritage — my great-great grandparents are from Italy, so we love attempting Italian bakes and meals.
“We go to all types of various locations and take a look at new issues alongside the best way.
“We have a look at social media loads for inspiration — I believe that may be a very great way of discovering new locations to go.
“We at all times have a watch on the native space as effectively — we’ve obtained a variety of bakeries which have opened near us lately.
“If we’re going overseas, we at all times take a look to see what’s about.
“We’ve simply obtained again from Prague, and social media was a giant a part of wanting into the place to go.
“We’ve been doing social media content material creating for about two years now, and going to all of the native eating places.
“We discovered that we had been at all times in search of new locations to go, so we thought we’d begin documenting it ourselves – that’s the place @loveeatdrinktravel got here from.”
Church added: “We’re always in search of locations to go — we by no means sit nonetheless!
“We love adventuring, so we’re at all times planning the place we’re happening our subsequent journey.
“We at all times attempt to go someplace new on the weekends if we will.
“We’re planning our subsequent journey overseas in a number of weeks, to Marrakesh, so we’re already locations to strive there.
“We go to London loads — London is about three hours from the place we reside in South Wales, so we plan our journeys round the place we wish to strive.”
Morgan-Helliwell and Church are at all times on the hunt for bakeries that put a brand new twist on basic favorites — and so they say that the look of the pastry is nearly as necessary because the style.
Church’s best choice is a standard almond croissant, whereas Morgan-Helliwell recommends a fruitier model — describing a latest raspberry croissant as “top-of-the-line issues I’ve ever tasted.”
“On social media, individuals have a tendency to like the pastry and bakery finds greater than anything on the minute,” Church mentioned.
“I believe lots of people are excited by distinctive bakes as effectively – one thing completely different from the norm and aesthetically pleasing.
“I believe individuals eat with their eyes, so it’s good to seek out someplace the pastries look actually tasty.
“There’s an area bakery to us — Little Valley Bakery — and round Easter time, they had been doing sizzling cross bun croissants.
“That they had croissants with the long-lasting sizzling cross bun cross on high, and a buttery raisin filling – and it did truly style like a sizzling cross bun. It was actually distinctive.
“I believe persons are experimenting with completely different flavors — the bottom of the pastry stays the identical, however the flavors may be extra Italian.
“The distinctive flavors put a twist on conventional bakes.”
Regardless of their touring, a lot of their favourite locations – like Little Valley Bakery and Refinery, each in Swansea – are near house, so the pair plan to begin a brand new sequence on TikTok to spotlight the households behind a few of their must-visit spots.
“We’ve determined we’re going to do a tour of Italian cafes,” mentioned Church.
“A variety of Italian households moved to South Wales through the struggle and began cafes that do do-it-yourself cannolis and conventional pastries – so we wish to strive as many as we will discover and speak to the households about what it’s been prefer to be within the cafe enterprise for therefore lengthy.”
However after two years of journey and content material creation, Morgan-Helliwell and Church say the very best factor about their journey is the chance to spend high quality time collectively – whereas having fun with scrumptious candy treats alongside the best way.
“We completely love doing it — and it’s a good way of spending time collectively as effectively,” mentioned Morgan-Helliwell.
“We go to all types of various locations and take a look at new issues alongside the best way — I believe it’s very nice.”
Church added: “It’s a good way of bonding and spending time collectively — it positively brings us nearer collectively.
“Having that shared curiosity is admittedly beautiful, and we get to discover beautiful locations alongside the best way – and eat some actually good meals.”
Morgan-Helliwell and Church’s high 5 suggestions from their travels are:
A white chocolate and pistachio croissant from Rock N Dough, Narbeth
A seasonal sizzling cross bun croissant from Little Valley Bakery, Swansea
An almond croissant cookie from Brooki, Brisbane
A cherry bomb pastry from Artic, Prague
An almond croissant from Monty’s, Neath
