Can you think of a better way to spend a day than strolling through a beautiful city, stopping at bakeries for sweet treats? Baker Kitty Tait can’t either. Her first stop was Oxford – see below for a taste of one of the five establishments she visited in the city of dreaming spires. To discover the rest, search ‘carb crawl’ at deliciousmagazine.co.uk
GATINEAU gatineau.uk.com
IN A NUTSHELL...
This is the bakery you dreamt of as a kid: pastries stacked in wicker baskets, cabinets heaving with glossy tarts and cakes.
THE BAKER’S FAVOURITE
Simple apple tarts are great, but this one is complex and exceptional, with a melt-in-the-mouth buttery almond base, paper-thin layers of apple and a fiery ginger glaze. I can see why head baker and owner Hervé Gatineau (coolest baker name ever) eats one every day.
MOST POPULAR
“We make about 6,500 croissants a week” – you heard that right. All made with high fat French butter and soft flour. PS: they also make vegan croissants.
KITTY’S CHOICE The ‘escargot au chocolat’ (below). I hate pain au chocolat. Yep, I know hate’s a strong word. Maybe it’s because I have the appetite of Bruce Bogtrotter, so I’m disappointed by the lack of chocolate. But this croissant-dough cup encasing chocolate custard, topped with chocolate glaze and shavings, made my inner Bruce happy.
Kitty is behind Oxford’s Orange Bakery, which she opened with her dad after breadmaking helped her conquer debilitating anxiety. She produces bread mixes to share her passion, with profits used
