Vastlakuklid already selling like hot cakes in Estonian bakeries

To the delight of those with a sweet tooth, many Estonian bakeries have already been stocking up on freshly baked vastlakuklid – traditional buns topped with whipped cream, marzipan and jam – since the beginning of January. Even though Vastlapäev (Shrove Tuesday) is not until March, bakers say the demand from customers is already high.
It may be poor weather for skiing in Estonia at the moment, and there may be a month and a half to go until the Vastlapäev (Shrove Tuesday), but the desire to eat vastlakuklid – traditional buns topped with whipped cream, marzipan and jam – is already high.
"People have been asking us for them since January 2. We're definitely selling more than 100 a day and maybe 200 plus at the weekend, which shows that people really love them," said Vasily Shchiry, co-owner of Tallinn bakery La Boulangerie.
So much so that they often sell out hours before closing time, meaning new batches are put in the oven later in the day.
"As far as I can see, you could sell them all year round. Then again, with so much work going into it, doing it for a whole year would be difficult," said Kenneth Karjane, owner of another Tallinn bakery, Karjase Saia.
"We've more or less taken to making them during the colder months at the start of the year, and people get an appetite for them. Whenever we have the urge to make them, we start," Karjane said.
At both Karjase Sai and La Boulangerie, the price of one vastlakukkel has stayed at around €4.
"Our profit is perhaps a little less than last year, but it is important for us to maximize the benefits we can offer to everyone. If you have a bun for €5 plus, you might not be able to buy one for the whole family every week. I think every Estonian should have the right of to buy a fresh vastlakukkel for their family," said Shchiry.
Find out more about the history of vastlakuklid in this ERR News explainer here.
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Editor: Michael Cole