Baking craftsmanship

A bread revival in Quebec

For a decade, Quebec has been experiencing a true bakery renaissance. Artisans trained in France or passionate self-taught bakers are rising to the challenge of natural sourdough bread, meticulous viennoiserie, and signature pastry.

As in all major North American cities, Quebec has experienced its bakery revolution. Driven by growing enthusiasm for local products and ancestral methods, talented artisans have opened their ovens across the city, from Lower Town to the Saint-Roch district, passing through Old Quebec and its immediate surroundings.

Sourdough bread, layered brioche, seasonal fruit tart, or AOP butter croissant: these products regain in Quebec the dignity they deserve. For visitors as well as residents, knowing the best bakery addresses is a sign of belonging to a culture of good eating that defines contemporary Quebecois culinary identity.

Borderon et Fils

The bakery of Old Quebec

The Borderon et Fils Bakery is an institution in the bakery scene of Old Quebec. Their sourdough breads, viennoiseries, and seasonal products have been nourishing gourmet restaurants and family tables in the old city for years.

Pastries of Old Quebec

Sweetness as a heritage

Old Quebec has several exceptional pastry shops where the precision of the craft and the quality of ingredients produce creations worthy of Parisian displays, with a proudly Quebecois accent.

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  Sylvain Gauthier Pastry Shop: Chef Sylvain Gauthier, trained in major French houses, has settled in Quebec to create entremets and petits fours with remarkable technical precision. His seasonal collections explore the flavors of Quebec terroir: blueberries from Lac-Saint-Jean, maple syrup from the region, blackcurrants from Île d'Orléans.
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  The bakeries-pastry shops of Petit-Champlain: Several establishments in the Petit-Champlain district offer artisanal viennoiseries and pastries prepared every morning. Madeleines, financiers, fruit tartlets: these little treats naturally accompany the espresso from the nearby Carrera Café.
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  J.A. Moisan and its specialties: Founded in 1871, the oldest grocery store in North America offers in its bakery section a selection of artisanal breads and viennoiseries carefully chosen from the best local artisans. A must-visit for lovers of authentic products.

Saint-Roch

The creative bakery district

The Saint-Roch neighborhood, buzzing with creative energy since the 2000s, has seen a new generation of baker-pastry chefs pushing the boundaries of artisanal bread.

Pastries

The flaky gold of Quebec mornings

The croissant is the ultimate barometer of a bakery. In Quebec City, a few artisans have reached the technical precision level necessary to produce pastries on par with the best gastronomic capitals worldwide.

Making a perfect pure butter croissant requires three days of work, dozens of folds of puff pastry, and surgeon-like precision. In Quebec City, Boulangerie Borderon et Fils and a few other artisans master this delicate art with remarkable consistency. Their croissants, with regular air pockets and a golden crust, crack at first touch and release aromas of quality butter that fill the alleys of Old Quebec at dawn.

For the visitor seeking the perfect pastry, the ideal is to arrive right at opening. Croissants, pain au chocolat, and other kouign-amann sell out quickly, and artisan bakers never compromise on quality to produce more quantity. This calculated scarcity is itself a guarantee of authenticity.

Bread and coffee

Two trades, one philosophy

The artisan baker and the specialty barista share the same obsession: the pursuit of perfection in a gesture repeated endlessly, the enhancement of exceptional raw materials, and the absolute rejection of mediocrity.

There is a deep connection between the artisan baker and the specialty coffee barista. Both work with fermentations, precise temperatures, and living raw materials that do not easily yield. The baker's sourdough responds to variations in temperature and humidity just as coffee reacts to changes in roasting and grinding. In both cases, the consistency of the result reflects technical mastery and intuition developed over the years.

At Carrera Café, we have formed partnerships with the best artisan bakers in Quebec because we believe that beautiful things go together. Quality bread deserves quality coffee, and vice versa. This consistency in choices, from coffee bean to flour, is what makes the difference between an ordinary establishment and a place remembered long after leaving.

Carrera Café

Coffee that honors its artisans

At Carrera Café, we select our baker partners with the same care as our coffee roasters. The quality of every bite matters as much as the quality of every cup.

The Carrera Classic board we offer every morning is built around Borderon et Fils bread: thick slices of grilled sourdough bread, accompanied by aged cheeses from the Quebec region, Bio de Charlevoix charcuterie, and a drizzle of quality olive oil. A breakfast program worthy of a gastronomic paddock.

Our commitment to local producers is not a marketing argument: it is a deep conviction that the best products come from passionate people, close to their raw materials and proud of their work. The artisan bakers of Quebec are part of this extended family that makes our café unique in Old Quebec.