The Korean bakery that wants to make croissants less French

It is headed to the basement of any loud commercial center in Singapore and the opportunities that will smell the sweetness of fresh goods and butter.

Long lines of people swarmed by Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, Singaporean -Singaporean bakeries and tissues on hand, after picking the cream coils, bread, milk, or filled croissants, and fruit pastries from crowded width treasures.

As for Paris, I forgived, the source of his inspiration is clear that the outlets are decorated with three -colored colors, and the signs show the Eiffel Tower and it appears that the atmosphere aims to something close to the magic of the Parisian cafe.

But it is 100 % Korean.

“I will not limit our bread to everything from France. We are an international brand,” says Jin Soo Hor, President and CEO of the SPC group, who has Paris.

“Like crows, can you say that this is a European product? I would like to say it is a global product.”

SPC returns its roots to a small bread store that opened 80 years ago.

He is now a major player in the production of bread and pastries in South Korea, where he employs 20,000 people in all its brands. SPC says its sales amounted to $ 5.6 billion (4.26 billion pounds) last year.

In 1988, Paris Bajwa was born to become the first Korean brand of bakeries to open an international store in China, which is still a large market.

Today there are 4000 stores in 14 countries, including in Asia, Europe and the United States.

Paris Bajwa has major expansion plans abroad, setting a target for more than 1,000 new branches at the international level by 2030 – many of them in the United States.

It invests in a factory in Texas, which will become the largest production facility abroad when completed in 2027, and supply the United States, Canada and Latin America.

For Mr. Hor, picking up the American market is a priority because it means that Paris Bajua has succeeded at the international level.

Sports is essential for the Paris Pajwa strategy through a partnership with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

She had a similar deal with France Paris Saint -Germain for two seasons, providing fans with her baked products and sweets in home games matches.

“I think food is culture. Sport brings a lot of people to the field, and there are always good feelings in London,” said Mr. Hor.

The leader of the South Korean national team was the leader of Spears. Son Hyung Min led his team to win the European League last month, and end the club’s 17 -year waiting for a cup.

It is not a matter of pioneering Korean spoils for Mr. Hour though.

Tottenham says, “a big club and Barsa Bajwa want to be the best in the classroom as well.”

Hair says quietly, the workers do not like to wake up early to knead the dough by hand.

He is attributed to his company’s system to provide frozen dough to privileges around the world to improve efficiency and expand the age of authority.

Asia has a strong heritage of baked goods, but with rapid urbanization, changing lifestyles, demand for comfortable foods grows steadily.

Bakeries all over the region already offer a large variety of elements.

Foods like Pain au chocolate and sandwiches are abundant, but they are also known for the flavors inspired by Asian-whether it is Pandan, Dorian, salted eggs, red red, or crows filled with matches and pastries.

Paris Bajwa responds to the request through a halal factory in Malaysia, to provide customers in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

With magic about Korean culture worldwide, experts say there can be an opportunity for Asian bakeries to see more success.

Sfiria Bosato, chef on pastries and bakeries at the American Cooking Institute in Singapore, said that the Korean and Japanese culture is very popular all over the world now and may see things on its screen, and then they are ready to try it as well.

“I just returned from a trip to Italy and I was completely surprised to see many Asian bakery and pastries stores in Italy and I was very happy.

To see the locals, the Italian people, they were somewhat exploring. “

But can the frozen dough produce the same quality of goods as a literal bakery?

I put the chef Bosato to test blind taste. It separates Croissants made of frozen dough (although he does not know that), losing flexibility and smell.

“This is very bad. There is no honeyed tablet inside, it’s completely hollow. It does not have a lot of strength because the interior collapses. There is no cookie for butter. It is glue and thick. There is no smell,” tells me.

Chef Busato admits that it is not practical to search for craftsmen if you are producing wholesale baked goods, so senior players will have to rely on frozen dough.

What about traditional Asian baked goods? Chef Busato said on the taste of Korean milk bread, which is a thin white bread full of cream, it is believed that it will fulfill a good performance in Europe.

“It’s great. It’s too good. The smell of milk is nice. It’s thin. It is refreshing … remind me of a kind of snack when I was younger because I was attending school.”

The living cost crisis is a major challenge for Paris Pajoa-is not the least due to the inflation rate in the United States, as it seeks to push the American market. Hair says that many companies have to change their business because they are not profitable for them.

One of the largest Paris Pajoa’s largest competitors in the world-Pret A Manger-had to experience subscription services and expand eating options after Covid pushed a sandwich and coffee chain to the loss, and was forced to close dozens of ports and reduce more than 3000 jobs.

The global economic environment weighs Mr. Hour as well, but it insists that profit is not his only goal. He says: “If we are just trying to make a profit, we will only stay in Korea.”

“We want to change the culture of bread around the world. I want to find a way to continue opening up to a lot of bakeries. It is a good thing for my country, and good for people.”