Vancouver Croissant Crawl offers unique spin on buttery baked goods

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Apricot streusel, pumpkin pie, churro … croissants?

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The roster of specialty croissants on offer from various eateries during the weeklong Vancouver Croissant Crawl are sure to challenge the way you — and your tastebuds — experience the beloved buttery baked goods.

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Available for a limited time at participating vendors across the city from Oct. 1-7, the food festival is designed to get people out exploring their neighbourhood eateries on a self-guided food tour in order to experience the delightful delicacies.

“Crawl participants are encouraged to round up their ‘croissant crew’, pick a route, and sample different flavours together at multiple stops,” event founder Laura Wong-Thompson said in an email. “You can document your fun to share with friends and family on Instagram, and enter for a chance to win yummy prizes.” 

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Wong-Thompson came up with the idea for the Croissant Crawl after moving to Vancouver earlier this year.

“I was in search of new friends, and the best local croissant,” Wong-Thompson says. “I invited a few others to check out a cluster of bakeries downtown with me. It was fun to eat and chat together while walking from one stop to the next.”

Inspired by those initial excursions, Wong-Thompson decided to make the event “something bigger.”

“It was February, at the tail end of the Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival and La Poutine Week, so I thought adding limited-edition flavours could bring the idea to the next level,” Wong-Thompson says. “I picked October to welcome fall with warm baked croissants as comforting as cosy sweaters.”

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The inaugural event sees eight local café companies create their most unique croissant flavours. The full list of participating vendors and flavours includes:

Wong-Thompson recommends contacting individual vendors directly to inquire about preordering particular flavours “due to the time intensive nature of croissants.” With the first event set to get underway on Saturday, Wong-Thompson is excited to see how fellow croissant fans embrace this new eating opportunity in the city.

“I call this event my love letter to the city, because I wanted it to exist for foodies to enjoy together,” she says. “I hope you’ll have a great time with friends checking out different limited-edition croissants.”

Aharris@postmedia.com