Croissant Day is considered to be the January 30 in many countries, and what better way to celebrate than with a fresh, buttery crescent of pastry?

In fact, croissants are the most talked about Viennoiserie product on social media, accounting for 74 per cent of conversation on the subject, according to British Baker.

Ahead of the day, consumer research conducted for Delifrance’s Prove It: The Great British Bakery Report have revealed the things consumers looks for when buying pastries, and what makes a sale.

Unsurprisingly, taste and flavour tops the list, followed by freshness and price.

The report also revealed that:

• 75 per cent prefer freshly-baked Viennoiserie products
• 32 per cent buy them from artisan bakeries
• 23 per cent buy them from independent and chain coffee shops
• 42 per cent would buy more croissants if there were healthier options
• 28 per cent would buy more if there was more variety

Interestingly for bakers looking to perhaps expand their offering, the study revealed that 40 per cent of people are more likely to buy a pastry with a hot drink – so get that coffee grinding!

History of the croissant

Many believe the croissant is an originally French pastry, but it traces its origins back to the Ottomann siege of Vienna – the origin of the word Viennoiserie.

Yep, Austria is the actual birthplace of France’s most famous breakfast pastry.

The kipferl, the ancestor of the croissant, stretches back to the 13th century in Austria. The modern croissant began in 1683 when the invading Turks attempted to tunnel underneath the walls of Vienna during the Ottomann siege of the city.

Fortunately, bakers working through the night heard the sounds of the Turks digging and alerted the city’s defenders. King John III of Poland arrived in time to defeat the Turks.

Following the Ottomann defeat, according to some accounts, Austrian bakers wanted to celebrate their victory by creating a pastry that would symbolize the crescent moon that appears on the Turkish flag.