Where Do Starbucks Pastries Come From?
Pastries served at Starbucks originate from San Francisco bakery La Boulange, which is owned by Starbucks. In this partnership, local commercial bakeries create pastries following La Boulange recipes.
La Boulange is a successful chain of bakeries that also serves cafe food. The former owner of La Boulange, Pascal Rigo, remains in a leadership role, and he is responsible for revamping Starbucks pastry and food selections. Croissants, lemon and pumpkin cakes are long-standing customer favorites and continue to be mainstay items. Most of the pastries are La Boulange inspired creations and include sweet and savory treats. In addition to croissants, sweet offerings include bars, cookies, scones and tarts. Savory pastries contain meat and cheese or vegetable fillings.
Starbucks pastries include ingredients sourced from local farms and vendors when possible. For example, in certain locations, apples used in pastries come from local apple growers. Because of this local sourcing policy, pastry items made for one Starbucks location can taste slightly different in another location. Pastries are baked fresh, and some are frozen, which is necessary because the pastries contain no preservatives. In addition to making and serving coffee and tea drinks, baristas are responsible for preparing the pastries for customers by warming them in the oven and arranging them in a display case.
