Food & Beverage
The Korean Bakery Boom: What’s Behind the Hype?
- South Korean bakery chain Paris Baguette is expanding rapidly in the UK, blending French-style pastries with Korean flavours to reshape local bakery culture.
- With the marketing theme “Croissants don’t have to be French�, the brand highlights its global ambition and unique East-meets-West approach to baking.
� a South Korean bakery chain � is bringing a fresh wave of pastries to London. Since opening its first UK store in 2022, the Paris Baguette chain has rapidly made a name for itself, showing that croissants don’t have to be French. It already runs hundreds of shops worldwide, and now Londoners can enjoy its European-style breads and Asian-style treats under one roof. The company behind Paris Baguette reports it has 4,000 stores across Asia, Europe, and the US (including London). That global footprint � a bakery chain from South Korea, with roots in a family bakery founded 80 years ago by SPC Group � is proof of Paris Baguette’s ambitious growth, combining the best of both French and Korean baking traditions.
Paris Baguette: A 100% Korean Bakery Goes Global
When Paris Baguette first began, its name evoked Parisian bakeries. Today, however, its boss proudly notes that if customers crave “a fresh, crusty baguette�, Paris might come to mind. But believe it or not, this bakery is 100% Korean.� Since its early days as a Seoul bakery, Paris Baguette has expanded into a global franchise, now going global with 4,000 stores in 14 countries. It has outlets from Singapore to New York, and in 2022, it opened its first UK franchise in London’s Battersea. By late 2024, it already had nine shops across France and the UK, and the chain aims to open 200 more in the UK by 2036. ( One press release said Paris Baguette will use the UK as “an important base� to open 200 franchise shops here by 2036.
While Paris Baguette may seem French by branding, its leadership sees the croissant and baguette as “universal�. Asked whether the croissant is a truly European product, the company chairman replied simply, “I would say it is a universal product, right?� In other words, Korean bakers believe buttery pastries belong everywhere, not just in France. Their strategy even includes British sport: Paris Baguette signed a high-profile deal with the Tottenham Hotspur football club. As one executive explained, partnering with a Premier League team was about “taking a little bit of Paris � or rather Asia � to the rest of the world.� In practical terms, this means fans at Spurs games can grab Paris Baguette coffee and treats, introducing more Brits to the Korean bakery style.
Korean Twist on Classic Pastries
Korean bakery chains don’t only mimic French classics; they infuse them with Asian flavours and techniques. For example, Paris Baguette and others often bake items that are lighter, sweeter, or stuffed with fillings that would be unusual in Europe. A BBC report highlighted one Korean dessert that captivated a pastry chef reviewer. When asked about a Korean-style milk sponge cake on offer, the chef’s response was enthusiastic: “It’s fantastic; it’s very good� the smell of milk is coming over� It is fluffy; it is refreshing.� (The smell of rich milk and the cake’s tender texture stood out as a clear hit.) Likewise, picture a display case brimming with egg custard buns, lotus-seed cakes, and mochi donuts � these are as much a part of the scene as croissants or éclairs. In short, Korean bakeries serve a range of unique delights: traditional French breads alongside Asian sweets. You might find a chocolate almond croissant or a brioche alongside pineapple buns, rice flour confections, or hotteok (syrupy pancake pockets). This blend of East and West has proven popular: one bakery in the UK reports selling tens of thousands of items in months (cakes, baguettes, salads, coffees and more) to enthusiastic locals.
Customer Reception and Store Expansion
British customers have generally embraced the Korean bakery experience. The bakery-café decor � often light, modern and Instagram-friendly � plus menus that span from savoury to sweet, make these shops attractive meeting spots. People queue to try the honey butter bread or the strawberry yoghurt cake. Feedback on social media and review sites notes that even typical items (like tuna sandwiches or green tea rolls) have new twists and high-quality ingredients. Pricewise, these bakeries are comparable to trendy cafés: for example, a Paris Baguette breakfast bundle (pastry, yoghurt and juice) costs about £7 in the UK, which many feel is good value for a meal and coffee. The bakery has also introduced new menu items to woo customers � in one flagship London store, they launched a mochi doughnut in 2023 that sold out quickly and a strawberry cream cake that became an instant best-seller.
Many Brits seem intrigued by the Korean flair. A franchise industry write-up notes that “Paris Baguette has quickly established a loyal following of consumers in London, leaving a trail of delightful treats and satisfied customers�. In practice, that means shared tables, busy mornings at Battersea and Canary Wharf shops, and more demand. Partnerships like the Tottenham Hotspur deal also spark curiosity: seeing a Korean logo next to a football crest tells shoppers that this is something new and exciting. With each new store, the chain brings a slice of Korean café culture to the UK, including popular coffee drinks (many Korean chains are also known for high-quality coffee) and loyalty rewards that let travellers earn points even if they visit overseas branches.
Cultural and Culinary Influence
The arrival of Korean bakery chains is part of a larger cultural trend. The UK has seen rising interest in all things Korean: from K-pop music to Korean food and skincare, British consumers are more familiar than ever with Korean culture. This “K-culture� buzz makes shoppers more willing to try a Korean-style carrot cake or green tea mousse. Korean bakeries also reflect South Korea’s deep bakery tradition: families often share bread cakes as a daily snack, so “bakery culture� is an ingrained part of Korean life, similar to how Italians have their cafés. When that culture comes to London, it brings not just new flavours but also a different bakery atmosphere � warm loaves, display fridges of set cakes, and an emphasis on cakes and sweet pastries (compared to the UK’s focus on sandwiches and pies).
In effect, these Korean bakeries are subtly educating the market. They remind us of the BBC’s original point: you don’t have to go to France for quality croissants or fine patisserie. Instead, “croissants don’t have to be French� � a marketing theme as much as a statement. Korean bakers are showing that classic European treats can be made anywhere, just with a distinct local style. And at the same time, they introduce British customers to distinctly Korean specialities (like their light, milky chiffon cakes or soft, sweet buns). This cross-cultural exchange has culinary value: British customers get more choice and a taste of Asia, while Korean chains gain new fans and adapt their products to local tastes (for instance, tweaking sweetness levels or adding local ingredients).
Looking ahead, it’s clear the story isn’t over. Paris Baguette and possibly other Korean bakery chains see Europe as a growth frontier. By the mid-2030s, they hope to have hundreds of shops across the UK and beyond. Each new store further cements the chain’s presence and influence. In the UK’s competitive bakery scene � which includes old-fashioned patisseries, Italian espresso bars, and big coffee chains � Korean bakeries stand out for their blend of East–West offerings. Ultimately, they are expanding what “European bakery� can mean in a British context. As Suranjana Tewari’s BBC interview underscored, these bakers simply want everyone to enjoy their bread, cake and croissants � wherever they come from.
