The 3rd Vancouver Foodster Croissant Challenge featured unique creations at bakeries and cafes around Metro Vancouver. Each bakery featured their creation on their menu from March 8 – April 2, 2023 and their customers voted for their favourites daily throughout the challenge for their People’s Choice favourites.
The Winners are:
1st Place:
{105 points}
Nelson The Seagull
Peach Hertzoggie
Price: $6
Created by: by the team
Description: A play on a South African favourite! Flakey butter croissant filled with homemade peach jam, brushed with lemon syrup, rolled in toasted coconut and topped with a toasted coconut meringue.
Ingredient List: Milk, Butter, Yeast, Salt, Canadian Red Spring Wheat White Flour, Eggs, Sugar, Coconut, Peaches, lemon, vanilla and cream.
Nelson The Seagull
315 Carrall Street, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 681-5776
Web: https://www.nelsontheseagull.com/
Instagram @nelsontheseagull
2nd Place:
{103 points}
The Modern Pantry
Honey Chai Swirl
Price: $6.25
Created by: Kendall Parslow
Description: Croissant dough rolled with our signature chai spice blend. Glazed with clover honey and topped with orange buttercream and fresh strawberry.
Ingredients: Butter, flour, sugar, salt, spices, egg, orange zest
The Modern Pantry
2232 Marine Dr Unit 102, West Vancouver
Tel: (604) 281-0014
Web: https://www.themodernpantry.ca/
Instagram @modernpantryvan
3rd Place
(87 points)
Seasons Bakery
Double Baked Maccha Rhubarb
Price: $7.25
Created by: The team
Description: A twice baked butter croissant filled with a decadent Maccha almond paste, rhubarb compote with hints of lavender and white chocolate.
Ingredients: Maccha powder, almonds, rhubarb, lavender, butter, salt, sugar, eggs, icing sugar, whipping cream, white chocolate
Seasons Bakery
2879 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 506-0290
Web: https://seasonsbakery.ca/
Instagram @seasons.bakery
NOTE: Due to unforseen circumstances Seasons Bakery had to close operations suddenly due to family issues and one of our judges was unable to taste their croissant resulting in loss of up to 20 points for taste.
In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Croissant Creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place People’s Choice:
Seasons Bakery
Double Baked Maccha Rhubarb
Price: $7.25
Created by: The team
Description: A twice baked butter croissant filled with a decadent Maccha almond paste, rhubarb compote with hints of lavender and white chocolate.
Ingredients: Maccha powder, almonds, rhubarb, lavender, butter, salt, sugar, eggs, icing sugar, whipping cream, white chocolate
Seasons Bakery
2879 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 506-0290
Web: https://seasonsbakery.ca/
Instagram @seasons.bakery
2nd Place People’s Choice:
Nelson The Seagull
Peach Hertzoggie
Price: $6
Created by: by the team
Description: A play on a South African favourite! Flakey butter croissant filled with homemade peach jam, brushed with lemon syrup, rolled in toasted coconut and topped with a toasted coconut meringue.
Ingredient List: Milk, Butter, Yeast, Salt, Canadian Red Spring Wheat White Flour, Eggs, Sugar, Coconut, Peaches, lemon, vanilla and cream.
Nelson The Seagull
315 Carrall Street, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 681-5776
Web: https://www.nelsontheseagull.com/
Instagram @nelsontheseagull
3rd Place People’s Choice:
The Modern Pantry
Honey Chai Swirl
Price: $6.25
Created by: Kendall Parslow
Description: Croissant dough rolled with our signature chai spice blend. Glazed with clover honey and topped with orange buttercream and fresh strawberry.
Ingredients: Butter, flour, sugar, salt, spices, egg, orange zest
The Modern Pantry
2232 Marine Dr Unit 102, West Vancouver
Tel: (604) 281-0014
Web: https://www.themodernpantry.ca/
Instagram @modernpantryvan
Our media judging panel determined the ultimate winners of the challenge, and this was quite the task as each judge who tasted each creation with a rigorous process based on taste, originality/uniqueness and presentation/appearance.
Each media judge scored each creation with a maximum of 40 points as follows: Overall Taste 20 points, Originality and Uniqueness 10 points, Presentation and Appearance 10 points. The highest number of points a challenge creation could have been awarded is 120 points.
Our Media judges for this challenge were: Corey Lee, Deanna Woo, and Joyce Lam
Thank you to the chefs and establishments that accepted my invitation and featured their croissants on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge.
I encourage you to visit the winning places to try their Croissants creations! See the entries here.
By: Richard Wolak