Maple Leaf Bakery, Glasgow
Croissants, changing seasons and queue discourse – we take a pair of trips to the new home of the excellent Maple Leaf Bakery in Govan
It is our honour to inform you that spring has sprung. We’re opening the curtains, we’re leaving the house, we’re only bringing the one coat with us. We’re happy to be back outside, which is handy, because it is also our solemn duty to tell you that, once again, we’re queueing.
It is Saturday morning on the sunny side of the footbridge from the Riverside Museum to Govan, and we’re lined up to try for pastries from the newly-opened Maple Leaf Bakery. Their croissants are award-winning; their following is considerable; their wait time immediately puts off a group of runners describing themselves as “not that committed.”
Now we’ve all done a bit of queue discourse in our time, but we’ll address it at the top. The Queue Is Part Of It. When it comes to this kind of place – your shiny new bakery, your viral baked potato, your no-reservations small plates ‘local neighbourhood spot’ – the queue is part of the experience. Whether you find that exciting, enervating, invigorating or infuriating is up to you, but at this stage, if you’re going for a croissant you saw on Instagram, you’re waiting around. You know the drill. The Queue Is Part Of It.
But on a spring day with the river behind us and the sun’s rays blasting off the white stone walkways directly into our sleepy sleepy eyes, it’s not a terrible part. The Queue draws attention (shout out to the lads who couldn’t quite work out a reaction to twenty middle-class people waiting for cakes, so just mumbled some swear words and carried on with their day), and The Queue makes people say and do strange things. If you’ve just bought some of the best stuff for yourself, ‘smug woman on Amsterdam-style bicycle’, don’t gleefully tell the rest of us that “there’s nothing left.”
When we get in, there’s not nothing left, but word has clearly made its way around. Away from the counter, the interior is nice, cosy and functional – pine and pine-like woods and big windows to try for a permanent golden hour effect, a light faux-industrial trendiness and some pops of deep red, and plenty of room to move around and/or corral your many customers.
As for what remains, a white chocolate and pistachio cookie (£3.20) is supremely buttery with just the right mix of crisp and chew, while the salted caramel brownie (£3.60) is extremely gooey and almost damp, but with a real snap to the base and an impressive intensity to the flavour. A carrot and pecan cake (£3.60) is as refreshing as a slice of cake can be; lightly spiced, with a bounce to the bite and a super smooth cream cheese on the top. The Queue continues as we leave; a man and his dog lean over his upstairs balcony to watch it in action.
Photo: Rebecca Slade.
Folks, can’t believe we’re saying it, but it looks like spring might be sticking around. On our return to the still-sunny side of the Govan Footbridge, the frenzy of a few weeks ago has mellowed to a solid buzz. Maybe it’s the passing of time, maybe it’s the fact that it’s 10 o'clock on a Friday morning, but this time, The Queue Is Not Part Of It. Instead, there’s an auspicious trail of big flakes of pastry on the walkway outside, and a small squad of nursery kids being led across the bridge.
Anyway, you’ve waited long enough – the pastries. They are excellent. The Ham, Cheese and Mustard Pain Suisse (£4.25) is an expertly constructed piece of crunchy, flaky, fatty goodness. The butteriness balances nicely with the zing from the wholegrain mustard, and the crispy rings of pastry give the whole thing a nice ornamental quality.
The Almond Croissant (£4.50) is a great example of the form, sweet and crusty and lightly decadent. Meanwhile, the Rhubarb and Ginger Danish (£4) has the flaky snap you’re looking for, with toppings that don’t overpower the pastry and what we’re going to call the right amount of custard (there’s some in every bite, but none of it’s on our shoes).
All in all, Maple Leaf is fantastic. Great pastries, excellent baking, moderate-to-extreme levels of fervour, and an impressive consistency in everything they’re putting out. With the Riverside Museum gleaming in the background, the sun beating down and croissant crumbs all over our coat, we can see Maple Leaf joining the spring and summer rotation for plenty of you.
16 Water Row, Glasgow G51 2LQ; Thu-Sat 8am-4pm, Sun 9am-4pm
@mapleleaf.bakery on Instagram