OOH LA LA! Olympic athletes in Paris are being treated to a range of classic French cuisine in the Games village, with a whopping 800 traditional croissants served each day.
So how can you replicate this at home?
Laura Stott tucked into a variety of supermarket own bakes to find the best, giving each a score out of five.
Lidl, £1.39 for 8 (17p each)
THIS bumper bag of Lidl pastries offers great value. Ingredients including palm oil are not especially authentic, and although there is some butter listed, it’s in the form of concentrated milk instead of the real deal. A soft, squishy and rather bland treat.
RATING: 2/5
Tesco, £1.39 for 8 (17p each)
THESE plain croissants are made with three per cent butter and, for the price, deliver a surprisingly delicious pastry that tasted far more superior than the quite dull – and inexplicably English-style – packaging might suggest.
RATING: 5/5
Co-op, £3.20 for 4 (80p each)
MAIS oui! Made with 25 per cent real French butter, sourdough wheat and top-quality ingredients generally, these are delightfully light, crisp and puffy. As close to the real deal as you will find on a supermarket shelf, but at a higher price than the rest.
RATING: 4/5
Tesco, £2 for 8 (25p each)
WHILE offering decent value for money these were a bit on the small side. Lovely flaky exterior, although the insides were a little dry and the outside was a touch greasy. They taste good oven-warmed or toasted with straw- berry jam.
RATING: 3/5
Asda, £1.60 for 6 (26p each)
SOFT, buoyant and very tasty, these were a pleasant surprise and, truth be told, my expectations had been rather low. Instead these were buttery, fluffy and extremely enjoyable. A bit light and small, but puffy with lots of height and air.
RATING: 3/5
Sainsbury’s, £1.50 for 6 (25p each)
THIS bag of long-life scoffs proudly declares it was made in France, with whole French eggs for richness. They were individually wrapped so you can easily grab one or two to eat on the go. A good choice for freezing, too.
RATING: 4/5
Morrisons, £2.19 for 8 (27p each)
A DECENT golden hue on the outside and not a bad size, but I found them a little dry and uninspiring. Despite the high butter content, they lacked the flaking exterior and fresh dough when you rip one open for your breakfast.
RATING: 2/5
Aldi, £1.49 for 2 (74p each)
THESE posh pastries are yummy, nutty and buttery. With a creamy and rich flaking, they smell lovely. They are filled with almond paste and topped with a generous amount of flaked nuts. Perfect al fresco with a cup of coffee.
RATING: 3/5
