Vegan-friendly doughnut chain Crosstown has opened its doors in Bristol. Located close to the university in Queens Road, it is an independent chain that started as a London market stall in 2014, specialising in sourdough doughnuts, seasonal flavours and a range of vegan-friendly options.
Flavours range from high-end takes on classics like Sri Lankan cinnamon or Tongan vanilla glaze to the more adventurous, like lime and coconut with spirulina dough or white chocolate with matcha tea. Priced around £3.50 to £4.75, they're not cheap, so Bristol Live paid a visit to the sleek store to see if the taste and price live up to the hype.
Inside, the new shop is compact but minimalist, with each flavour displayed in a cabinet like a priceless artwork. Brightly-coloured and topped with all manner of crumble, compote, nuts, and glaze, the choice is a little overwhelming, but we settled on a vegan peanut butter and blackcurrant doughnut with a smooth but strong macchiato.
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Behind the counter, the friendly staff pull the doughnuts from vast wooden drawers. The cakes are handmade in London and can be delivered across Bristol in boxes of six, costing £25.95 or 12 for £39.95.
That's a fair bit more than doughnut juggernaut Krispy Kreme, which charges £17.95 for a mixed box of 12 or four of its vegan version for £9.25. But, Although Crosstown is on the pricey side, we think it's worth the splurge.
The dough of the peanut butter flavour has plenty of savoury bready bite and a bagel-like density, making it substantial and filling. Sometimes vegan alternatives can overcompensate with saccharine flavours but here, fruity compote matches sweetness and tartness, finished off with a few salty, dark roasted peanuts. It almost feels wholesome, though a quick glance at the nutritional info lets us know there are 312 calories and 11 grams of fat per 100g.
As well as bar stools in the front, upstairs, there's a spacious and comfy seating area. Students get a 20% discount in-store, and users of the Crosstown app get £5 off and a free coffee after their first purchase.
After our visit, we took a few more flavours to-go, including the white chocolate and matcha ganache, which had a more cakey texture and a sweet mellow creaminess. Our favourite was the lime and coconut, with a delicious balance of acid, sugar and salt, courtesy of seaweed in the dough.
While the cost may mean you're less likely to grab a box of Crosstown doughnuts to treat your friends or colleagues than you would be with Krispy Kreme, in a taste test between the two, we found the newcomer was a far more popular choice, as the latter almost dissolves into syrupiness that can be overpowering.
The creativity of the Crosstown flavours is a welcome addition to Queens Road and is already proving popular, with the staff telling us they sold out on both days of their opening weekend.
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