Brewery teams up with Leith bakery to create sour beer using croissant offcuts
Brewery Vault City has teamed up with Leith Walk bakery Babyfaced Baker to create two limited-edition sour beers brewed using surplus croissant pastry.
The collaboration aims to give new life to leftover dough while creating two dessert-inspired sour beers: Blueberry Maple Glaze Bun and Lemon Meringue Iced Bun.
Babyfaced Baker, which opened its Leith Walk bakery in 2021 before expanding to a second shop in Portobello, is known for its small-batch pastries and weekly changing menu of bakes.
The idea for the collaboration came after bakery founder Rhiain Gordon bumped into one of Vault City’s brewers at a birthday party, sparking a conversation about working together.
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Rhiain Gordon, founder of Babyfaced Baker, said: “I’ve always loved Vault City because their beers are so experimental. They’re fruity, playful and often quite pastry-inspired already, so working together felt like a really natural fit.
“When we make our croissants there are always offcuts from shaping the pastry. Normally we bake those into a loaf so nothing goes to waste, but this time we brought them along to the brewery and added them into the brew.”
The beers bring together blueberry, maple glaze and lemon meringue, with Rhiain also planning to create a matching bun for the bakery counter when the beer launches.
“It’s really exciting seeing those ingredients take on a second life in a completely different way,” she said.
“Food waste is such a big issue across hospitality, so whenever you can find creative ways to reuse something it feels like a win.”
Vault City, which recently relocated from Portobello to Penicuik, is known for its bold, dessert-inspired sour beers.
Rhiain said: “Pastry and sour beer actually share quite a lot of flavour profiles. The beers are really fruity and bright, which works beautifully with sweet bakes.
“It’s also really nice collaborating with another local business. There’s a lot of crossover between the people who love craft beer and the people who love good pastries, so I think it’s something customers will really enjoy.”
Steven Smith-Hay, co-founder of Vault City, said: “We’ve always loved brewing beers inspired by desserts and sweet treats, so collaborating with a bakery felt like the perfect next step.
“Using croissant pastry offcuts in the brew is a brilliant example of how creativity can turn something that might otherwise go to waste into something genuinely delicious.
“Rhiain’s flavours are amazing, and bringing those pastry ideas into a sour beer has been a lot of fun.”
The limited-edition Vault City x Babyfaced Baker sour beers will be available from Vault City’s website from March 31, both priced at £4.95 with an ABV of 4.8%.