Vault City teams up with Babyfaced Baker on zero-waste pastry sour beer made using croissant offcuts

EDINBURGH sour beer specialists Vault City have teamed up with Leith bakery Babyfaced Baker to create two limited-edition sour beers brewed using surplus croissant pastry that would otherwise go unused.

The collaboration with Babyfaced Baker founder Rhiain Gordon transforms pastry offcuts from the bakery's croissant production into a brewing ingredient, giving new life to surplus dough while creating dessert-inspired sour beers: Blueberry Maple Glaze Bun and Lemon Meringue Iced Bun.

Inspired by the bakery's flavour combinations, the beers bring together blueberry, maple glaze and lemon meringue, with Gordon also planning to create a matching bun for the bakery counter when the beer launches.

Babyfaced Baker, which opened its Leith Walk bakery in 2021 before expanding to a second shop in Portobello, is known for its small-batch pastries and weekly changing menu of bakes.

The idea for the collaboration came after Gordon bumped into one of Vault City's brewers at a birthday party, sparking a conversation about working together.

Rhiain Gordon, founder of Babyfaced Baker, said: "I've always loved Vault City because their beers are so experimental. They're fruity, playful and often quite pastry-inspired already, so working together felt like a really natural fit.

"When we make our croissants there are always offcuts from shaping the pastry. Normally we bake those into a loaf so nothing goes to waste, but this time we brought them along to the brewery and added them into the brew.

"It's really exciting seeing those ingredients take on a second life in a completely different way. Food waste is such a big issue across hospitality, so whenever you can find creative ways to reuse something it feels like a win."

Vault City is known for its bold, dessert-inspired sour beers, making a bakery collaboration a natural pairing for the Edinburgh producer.

Gordon added: "Pastry and sour beer actually share quite a lot of flavour profiles. The beers are really fruity and bright, which works beautifully with sweet bakes.

"It's also really nice collaborating with another local business. There's a lot of crossover between the people who love craft beer and the people who love good pastries, so I think it's something customers will really enjoy."

Steven Smith-Hay, co-founder of Vault City, said: "We've always loved brewing beers inspired by desserts and sweet treats, so collaborating with a bakery felt like the perfect next step.

"Using croissant pastry offcuts in the brew is a brilliant example of how creativity can turn something that might otherwise go to waste into something genuinely delicious. Rhiain's flavours are amazing, and bringing those pastry ideas into a sour beer has been a lot of fun."

The limited-edition Vault City x Babyfaced Baker sour beers will be available from Vault City's website from March 31, both priced at £4.95 with an ABV of 4.8%.

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