thoughts that are too small for a blog and too big for a toot https://vignettes.ahnlak.com/ 2026-09-30T00:00:00.000Z Pete Favelle https://vignettes.ahnlak.com/the-croissant/ 2026-09-30T00:00:00.000Z 2026-09-30T00:00:00.000Z

kindness at the patisserie

<p>When I popped into my local bakery for breakfast supplies, there were two young workmen ahead of me, all hi-vis and craving their morning caffeine.</p> <p>A cup of tea was on it’s way for one of them, and my heart sank a little when the second ordered a coffee - it’s a bakery so their coffee-making is not exactly fast, which meant I was going to have to wait longer for my cheese and marmite danish. But, I digress.</p> <p>As they were chatting, the younger of the two revealed that he had never had a croissant before; this was shocking news to all of us, and his friend - who had already ordered himself a pain au chocolat - offered to buy him one to try. For reasons that remain beyond me, the young lad turned it down.</p> <p>The girl behind the counter was quiet through all of this, and made their drinks with a pensive look on her face. Once they were done, she picked up a paper bag, popped a croissant in it and handed it to the young lad as he was leaving.</p> <p>“Here”, she said. “It’s a gift from me. So you know what a croissant is like.”</p> <hr> <p>After they left, we exchanged a look of bemusement. How can you grow up never knowing what a croissant tastes like?</p> <p>“Of course”, I pointed out, “you’ve ruined him now, because you make the best croissants in town.”</p> <p>“What’s he going to think when he goes and buys one in the supermarket?!”</p> <p><small>mood: amused</small></p>