In 1995 a Parisian pastry chef, Pierre Hermé, decided that local macaron patisseries should collaborate to celebrate the decadent confectionery and support local charities. Thus, the first annual Macaron Day on March 20, was born.
In 2010, the charity event made its way to North America (starting with New York) and is now marked each spring by participating Vancouver bakeries.
Here are the patisseries where you can indulge in the delicious treat for a good cause this year.
Chez Christophe x Faubourg
For the past two years, Metro Vancouver bakeries Faubourg and Chez Christophe, teamed up to maximize the impact of their charitable donations.
On March 20, macarons at Faubourg’s four Vancouver locations and Chez Christophe’s Burnaby and White Rock locations will be on special for $2 each. Chez Christophe’s six-pack of raspberry and caramel macarons (3 of each) will be available for pre-orders starting March 15th and in stores March 18 to March 21 for $13.95 per pack with proceeds benefiting earthquake relief in Turkey and Syria.
"This year, we want to continue building on the successes from last year's Macaron Day by once again collaborating with our friends at Chez Christophe and rallying our community towards supporting the devastating situation in Turkey and Syria," says Faubourg owner, Franck Point.
Both businesses will be donating proceeds from their macaron sales to the Canadian Red Cross Earthquake in Türkiye & Syria Appeal, which supports efforts to deliver emergency relief and to provide help to those impacted by the earthquakes as quickly as possible.
Mon Paris Pâtisserie
Macaron Day (Mar. 20) falls on a Monday this year when Mon Paris is closed so they are holding their fundraiser the weekend prior, March 18 to March 19, and spotlighting a seasonal cherry blossom macaron. The Sakura Strawberry macaron will be available throughout cherry blossom season starting March 18. Pastry chef and owner, Elena Krasnova, has also created two other limited-edition macaron flavours to commemorate the spring equinox coffee and blackcurrant. The patisserie plans to donate 50 per cent of macaron sales over the weekend to the BC Hospitality Foundation which raises funds to support those in the hospitality industry facing financial crisis due to a health condition.
Kitchening & Co.
Kitchening & Co. is a Langley-based wholesale macaron manufacturer that serves high-end grocery retailers and cafes throughout the Lower Mainland. Every year its staff each chooses a charity to donate all net proceeds of the sale of one flavour of macaron. This year it is the Golden Mini Egg flavour, available at 17 different locations across Metro Vancouver, including in Fresh St. Market, Max's Deli on Oak St., and at Loblaws. All the information can be found here.
We've reached out to some other bakeries known for their macarons in Vancouver and will update with details if and when they become available. Have a Macaron Day deal to share or a food tip or story idea? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
