whats-on, food-and-wine, skywhale, skywhalepapa, croissant, Three Mills Bakery
Skywhale has inspired many things since first taking to Canberra’s skies in 2013. T-shirts, keyrings, jewellery – you name it. But the latest in the list of Skywhale-inspired things has focused on one of the skyborne beast’s most dominant features. Three Mills Bakery has created a special cone-shaped croissant, at the request of artist Patricia Piccinini, that will be available at next Saturday’s big launch. And it’s not just any croissant. It’s a purple wheat croissant filled with a honey milk custard and plum jam, and topped with freeze-dried raspberry and puffed grain meringue. “The parameters that Patricia gave us was that it needed to be sort of nutritious and needs to evoke the maternal nature of Skywhale,” Three Mills Culinary coordinator Kit Carpenter said. “We took that, in some ways, quite literally and we were looking at the Skywhale’s breasts and knew the cone was a really great representation of that. We also wanted to fill it with dairy – milk, essentially – and honey milk is very comforting when you drink it, especially as a kid. “We then wanted to make sure that we’re hitting these the nostalgia points as well like jam croissants – it’s a classic, of course – and we knew that we had this beautiful purple wheat that we wanted to use and just saw an opportunity to bring some colour to it, and a more interesting flavour and it’s sustainably grown in Australia.” READ MORE: As well as the croissant’s purple-grey colour created by the wheat – that alone seems appropriate for Skywhale – the pastries will also be wrapped in cone packaging which not only has similar colouring to the artwork but also imitates the hot air balloon’s seams as well. About 2500 of the croissant creations will be prepared and delivered for 3.30am next Saturday morning, in time for Skywhale and Skywhalepapa to take to the skies at 5.30am. It’s a large delivery – there’s no doubt about that. But it’s not one that the Three Mills Bakery can’t handle. “It used to be a daunting order but not anymore. After all of the home delivery croissants kits we did in COVID, it’s actually easier,” Three Mills laminated pastry expert Justin King said. “It’s about a three-day process that will start on Wednesday, where we mix the dough and fold it and leave it overnight. We roll it all Thursday, bake it all Friday and then we assemble them all through the night.” It’s all in the name of creating an event that holds the attention of multiple senses, not just eyesight. While people’s tastebuds will be excited by the Three Mills Skywhale croissant cone, the ears will also be entertained by a live performance of We are the Skywhales by Canberra musician Jess Green, her band and the Luminescence Children’s Choir. “Patricia wanted the experience of the audience at the launch to be not just visual but kind of a full sensory experience. When you the taste of the food, she wanted to capture that feeling you get having it first thing in the morning,” Three Mills Bakery marketing and brand manager Belinda Armstrong said. For those who didn’t manage to get tickets to the booked-out launch next Saturday, don’t worry – you don’t have to miss out on a Skywhale croissant. The day will also see the croissants at Three Mills Bakery in Majura and its stall at Epic markets, as well as at the National Gallery of Australia’s Street Cafe. The croissants will also make an appearance at the March and April launch dates, with the possibility of the pastry becoming a feature on Three Mills Bakery’s menu. “We do want to look at introducing it, maybe as a special weekend offering,” Ms Armstrong said. “At this stage, we’re just trying to get through this event and then looking into March and April, but we do see it as a long-term partnership and we’re hoping it becomes a bit of a signature Canberra food.”
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Skywhale has inspired many things since first taking to Canberra’s skies in 2013. T-shirts, keyrings, jewellery – you name it.
But the latest in the list of Skywhale-inspired things has focused on one of the skyborne beast’s most dominant features.
Three Mills Bakery has created a special cone-shaped croissant, at the request of artist Patricia Piccinini, that will be available at next Saturday’s big launch.
And it’s not just any croissant. It’s a purple wheat croissant filled with a honey milk custard and plum jam, and topped with freeze-dried raspberry and puffed grain meringue.
“The parameters that Patricia gave us was that it needed to be sort of nutritious and needs to evoke the maternal nature of Skywhale,” Three Mills Culinary coordinator Kit Carpenter said.
“We took that, in some ways, quite literally and we were looking at the Skywhale’s breasts and knew the cone was a really great representation of that. We also wanted to fill it with dairy – milk, essentially – and honey milk is very comforting when you drink it, especially as a kid.
Laminate pastry expert Justin King and culinary curator Kit Carpenter at Three Mills Bakery with the Skywhale-inspired croissant. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos
“We then wanted to make sure that we’re hitting these the nostalgia points as well like jam croissants – it’s a classic, of course – and we knew that we had this beautiful purple wheat that we wanted to use and just saw an opportunity to bring some colour to it, and a more interesting flavour and it’s sustainably grown in Australia.”
As well as the croissant’s purple-grey colour created by the wheat – that alone seems appropriate for Skywhale – the pastries will also be wrapped in cone packaging which not only has similar colouring to the artwork but also imitates the hot air balloon’s seams as well.
About 2500 of the croissant creations will be prepared and delivered for 3.30am next Saturday morning, in time for Skywhale and Skywhalepapa to take to the skies at 5.30am.
It’s a large delivery – there’s no doubt about that. But it’s not one that the Three Mills Bakery can’t handle.
“It used to be a daunting order but not anymore. After all of the home delivery croissants kits we did in COVID, it’s actually easier,” Three Mills laminated pastry expert Justin King said.
“It’s about a three-day process that will start on Wednesday, where we mix the dough and fold it and leave it overnight. We roll it all Thursday, bake it all Friday and then we assemble them all through the night.”
It’s all in the name of creating an event that holds the attention of multiple senses, not just eyesight. While people’s tastebuds will be excited by the Three Mills Skywhale croissant cone, the ears will also be entertained by a live performance of We are the Skywhales by Canberra musician Jess Green, her band and the Luminescence Children’s Choir.
“Patricia wanted the experience of the audience at the launch to be not just visual but kind of a full sensory experience. When you the taste of the food, she wanted to capture that feeling you get having it first thing in the morning,” Three Mills Bakery marketing and brand manager Belinda Armstrong said.
Three Mills Bakery have created a Skywhale-inspired croissant for next Saturday’s launch. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos
For those who didn’t manage to get tickets to the booked-out launch next Saturday, don’t worry – you don’t have to miss out on a Skywhale croissant. The day will also see the croissants at Three Mills Bakery in Majura and its stall at Epic markets, as well as at the National Gallery of Australia’s Street Cafe.
The croissants will also make an appearance at the March and April launch dates, with the possibility of the pastry becoming a feature on Three Mills Bakery’s menu.
“We do want to look at introducing it, maybe as a special weekend offering,” Ms Armstrong said.
“At this stage, we’re just trying to get through this event and then looking into March and April, but we do see it as a long-term partnership and we’re hoping it becomes a bit of a signature Canberra food.”
