Land & Monkeys is a 100 % vegan bakery which has several outlets in Paris, including one next to metro station Pernety in the 14th arrondissement. In my article about Des Gâteaux et du Pain, I stressed the importance of butter in croissants. To be honest, the real secret to French cuisine in general is… butter. So you may ask: is a croissant without butter really a croissant? My answer is still “no”. However, I didn’t want all you vegans out there to miss out on the experience of eating a croissant whilst in Paris, so I took it upon myself to find a solution… and the solution is called Land & Monkeys.
Land & Monkeys have managed the feat of replicating French bakery staples by removing all the butter, milk and eggs, whilst still using traditional craftsmanship and never sacrificing taste. They use absolutely no animal products and are strong advocates for animal welfare, donating 1% of their annual turnover to animal shelters and non-profits. Their produce is furthermore organic, local and seasonal. Last but not least, they aim for 0% plastic usage (pro-tip: come with your own containers and get 10% off).
The croissant at Land & Monkeys is surprisingly flaky on the outside, soft on the inside and paired perfectly with my raspberry jam from La Ferme d’Alexandre. However, the real showstopper is the almond and hazelnut cookie, which is covered in a generous helping of caramel and filled with praline: yum!
