Actus des entreprises
Sofitel Seoul unveils its ‘Haute Croissanterie’ collection, celebrating its 60th anniversary
In celebration of World Croissant Day, Sofitel Ambassador Seoul launched its global project, 'Haute Croissanterie', which aims to promote the iconic croissant, the epitome of French breakfast.
Founded in Strasbourg, France in 1964, the French luxury hotel brand Sofitel is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Its 120 hotels in over 60 countries worldwide are launching several global projects to celebrate the milestone, among which is the 'Haute Croissanterie' as the first event in which they participate. Sofitel Ambassador Seoul, along with Sofitel Dubai and Sofitel Panama, was selected as the flagship hotel for the 'Haute Croissanterie' event, marking the beginning of the global project.
'Haute Croissanterie', is derived from the French word "Haute couture," which refers to a custom-made luxury item. This unique concept invites Sofitel chefs all around the globe to reinvent croissants using their own designs and recipes inspired by local culture and tastes. Each collection reflects the French “savoir-faire” and craftsmanship with a modern twist.
In Seoul, the project's seven croissant collection was created using French techniques and flair with three keywords: Pure Butter, French, and Cultural Link. As explained by Sofitel’s head Chef Mikael Robin, 'Pure Butter' refers to the use of the finest French butter to maximize the richness of the original flavor, while 'French' symbolizes the croissant's inseparable connection to French food culture. 'Cultural Link' is a reference to the meeting of two cultures, as symbolized by the Sofitel logo.
Chef Henry Kim (Kim Yong-ho) led the project from the menu development in Korea to the final training with chefs from around the world in Dubai. While designing his ‘Haute Croissanterie’ collection, he wanted to represent Korean culture through the four seasons. The menu includes "Bombi Blossom", which alludes to the cherry blossom season in Korean spring, "Jeju Bliss", reflecting the summer waves in Jeju, "Gochujang Galore", which reminds the colors of autumn leaves, and "Truffle-ssant", a chocolate croissant with black truffles, symbolizing winter. In addition, the croissant 'Elegance Paris', made with ham cream and Comté cheese, embodies the best ingredients and captures the essence of French taste.
Regarding the exotic flavor of Gochujang Galore, Chef Kim said, "When we wish to introduce Korean culture to foreign customers, we often present the obvious flavors, but this time we wanted to showcase the spiciness of Korean food, which is indispensable for K-Food. Korean artisanal fermented food culture and flavors are hard to find in the West and popular among world-class chefs such as Pierre Gagnaire. It was a bit of an experimental approach to incorporate gochujang in croissants, but once we found the right balance, it was very well received when we were promoting it in Dubai."
“Since the pandemic, K-Culture including K-Pop, K-movies, and K-Dramas, has gained popularity globally, and Seoul has become a “destination" for global brands as luxury brands like Dior with its F/W 2022 collection and Gucci and its 2024 cruise collection have set their sights on Seoul. The city's growing presence is why it was selected as the pilot hotel to represent Asia among more than 120 hotels worldwide.” Chef Kim explained that Seoul is now considered the latest emerging market in Asia, beyond Tokyo, and cited Korea's technological prowess as one of the reasons why Sofitel Ambassador Seoul was chosen as the flagship hotel for the event.
Sofitel Seoul will be hosting various events throughout the year to celebrate its 60th anniversary, starting with the 'Haute Croissanterie'. The hotel's croissant collection can be found at the Fait Maison breakfast pastry section on the 4th floor, or at the gourmet café 'Jardin d'Hiver' on the 6th floor.
