France struggles to digest vegan croissants

In the heart of Paris, a revolution is quietly brewing in the form of butter-free croissants. Baker Rodolphe Landemaine is leading the charge with his dairy-free bakery, challenging centuries-old culinary traditions in France.

Landemaine, a vegan baker, has five bustling bakeries in Paris, serving up entirely dairy-free pastries to a local clientele. Despite the absence of butter, eggs, or cow’s milk in his products, Landemaine avoids using the term “vegan” to appeal to French sensibilities.

His strategy is simple yet effective – let the croissants speak for themselves. Customers, like a young boy and a visiting tourist from Poland, are pleasantly surprised by the lightness and taste of Landemaine’s creations, unaware of the secret plant-based ingredients replacing traditional dairy products.

However, not everyone is on board with this dairy-free trend. Traditionalists like Thierry Loussakoueno, a Parisian civil servant and croissant judge, express disdain for the idea of butter-free pastries, citing the importance of dairy in French cuisine.

Meanwhile, dairy farmer Sophie Lenaerts near Amiens is more concerned about the broader agricultural challenges facing small farmers like herself. She sees vegan croissants as a symptom of the industrialization of food production, advocating for a return to locally sourced, sustainable farming practices.

Despite the resistance from some quarters, the rise of dairy-free bakeries like Landemaine’s and Michelin-starred restaurants like Manon Fleury’s Datil signal a shift towards more plant-based options in French cuisine. As attitudes evolve and awareness grows, the future of food in France may look very different from its butter-laden past.