Sacre beurré! French foodies up in arms after 'virtue-signalling' bakery chain launches a butter-free vegan croissant

French foodies are up in arms after a 'virtue-signalling' bakery chain launched a butter-free vegan croissant.

The crescent-shaped, golden-coloured pastry has been a staple of the Gallic breakfast for almost two centuries.

But a Parisian baker has dared to take on the purists by launching a dairy-free version, declaring: 'I'm changing the world.'

The efforts of boulanger Rodolphe Landemaine, a vegan with an interest in animal welfare and climate change who has five shops in the French capital, have been met with a mixture of outrage and incredulity.

Thierry Loussakoueno, a food show judge for the French Union of Bakers and Pastry Makers, scoffed: 'I don't understand these vegan pastries. I can understand people who don't eat meat for whatever reason, and I respect this completely.

'But dairy products and butter are just too important in the taste of food and not using them is just too bad and a pity.'

Meanwhile, Olivier Boudot, a cookery teacher, told the BBC: 'It's difficult for me to even talk about making a croissant without butter.'

And dairy farmer Sophie Lenaerts, 57, from Amiens, an hour's drive north of Paris, claimed vegan croissants were symbolic of 'industrial madness' and 'virtue-signalling' – which she feels has left traditional farming unfairly scapegoated for climate change.

Mme Lenaerts, who has taken part in French farmers' protests against European Union agricultural policies, said: 'I have grandchildren. I want the best planet for everyone. But it's always the farmer that gets the blame.'

She said: 'The fear of losing French agriculture is the fear of losing our heritage, our land. It's the farmers that maintain our landscape and make France a country for tourism.

'When no farmers are left, when no cows are left, it will be much worse. (But) I think we're at a turning point in terms of awareness.'

M. Landemaine, who also produces other vegan pastries, said his business is growing fast with new branches planned in other French cities, including Bordeaux, Lyon and Rennes.

He claims to have strong interest internationally, including in the UK and Dubai.

French food companies are also taking an interest, he added.

'They sense the market is changing. One reason (for their interest) is that butter has been so expensive for several years,' he said.

M. Landemaine said: 'I'm changing the world.'

But he said he does not actually use the word 'vegan'. He said: 'It's not an easy word for French people to get used to. It's very difficult for them to give up on butter and eggs.'

Although synonymous with France, the croissant is said to derive from Austria.

According to one legend, Viennese-born French queen Marie Antoinette introduced the croissant to Paris in 1770.

But the pastry's widespread popularity is believed to date from when a cluster of Viennese bakers became established in Paris in the early 19th century.

The croissant is said to originate from a pastry made in the Austrian capital a century-and-a-half earlier to celebrate fending off a Turkish attack in 1683.

The crescent shape was symbolic of the Ottoman empire – and turning it into a pastry meant the Austrians could devour their invaders whenever they chose.