Cronut craze near epidemic

Cronuts, a crossover between a donut and croissant are selling like hotcakes in Tauranga, much to the delight of Jo Blennerhassett from Nosh, Mount Maunganui.Photo / John Borren

If you don't know what a Cronut is, it's highly likely you are about to.

The hybrid of a croissant and doughnut has become a craze among bakeries throughout New Zealand and has now arrived in Tauranga to similar fanfare.

Nosh owner Jo Blennerhassett began ordering Cronuts from Auckland bakery Loaf three weeks ago, and has been struggling to meet demand since.

"I order them every day and they have had to increase their production of them because they've gone so crazy. There's a certain amount each week we get and we sell out of them every day," she said.

"They normally sell by lunchtime and in the weekend, they sell by 10.30am."

Ms Blennerhassett said Cronuts had become the most popular item in the Nosh bakery.

"They are a combination of donut and croissant, piped with vanilla, very tasty."

Ms Blennerhassett would not say how many they sold, as it was commercially sensitive, but they were a hit with a range of customers.

Loaf founder and director Sean Armstrong said he and his team spent about six weeks perfecting their Cronut recipe, as the original remained top secret in New York.

"The amount of phone calls that we got, it was ridiculous. It was negligent if we didn't try making them," he said.

The original Cronut was created by chef Dominique Ansel and has been trademarked, meaning the Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York is the only place to sell the true Cronut.

Despite demand Mr Armstrong said he was surprised at the overwhelming response.

"There's a heck of a lot of hype around these things so you sort of expect it to go nuts, then when you do [make them] you question if it actually will," he said.

Loaf now supplies 75 food outlets and cafes with its Cronuts.

Mr Armstrong dispelled accusations Cronuts had up to 700 calories per serve.

"They are better for you than most brownies and rocky roads out there," he said, referring to the Cronut's 269 calorie count per 100 grams.

"It's just a bit of fun and a bit of enjoyment while eating."

Brookfield New World is also selling their version of the Cronut but owner and operator Brendon Good could not be reached yesterday.