Play Milkmaid (or Man) and Fill Your Basket at This Retro Bakery

Do you still remember your favourite childhood reads, dear reader? I’ll go first —one of my most beloved story books when I was a wee little girl was Teo Goes to the Supermarket. No whimsical plots; just a kid helping his mom on grocery duty. Oh, the places they went! For example, they went to this shop called creamery with cute glass bottles to —gasp! — fill with milk. How exciting! Mom, can we too buy our milk like that?

…Though my generation was already getting their dairy in cartons, I kinda never forgot about my dream of milk bottles. Lucky for me, I am in Beijing, where cute meets F&B on an astonishingly frequent basis. This time I am taking you to Hongxing Qianjin Bread and Milk Company (红星前进面包牛奶公司 Hóngxīng Qiánjìn Miànbāo Niúnǎi Gōngsī), a bakery that has recently opened its doors close to Zhangzizhonglu Subway Station.

It’s apparent that the interior designer team behind Hongxing Qianjin Bread and Milk Company went for vintage — how close their design is to actual old-school Chinese creameries I shan’t judge. Here, you will find young, cheerful clerks eager to practice their English donning spotless uniforms matching with the décor — plain but pristine, reminiscing of a model factory of yesteryears.

If you’re able to stop directing your gaze at the good ole neon red star on the back, you’ll start checking their offerings, and you’ll want to be quick: the early bird does get the worm here and if you arrive too late into the day, chances are the shelves will be empty.

I’ve already paid a couple visits to this noble establishment, so this much I can tell you. In terms of variety, Hongxing Qianjin Bread and Milk Company ranks somewhere between Wedome and Holiland. If you’re looking for the uber trendy edge of, say, Butterful & Creamorous, then for sure this is not your bakery.

And yet, I would say I like Hongxin better than all the aforementioned chains. Their soft bread loaves are worth the trip — expect the usual matcha and chocolate, but also some cool twists such as cheesy mashed potatoes and bacon. Their smaller buns also feature some specific combos such as millet and crystallized orange or tuna and cheese. When the last of their cream and blueberry tartalettes flew in front of my eyes, I happily settled for a pretzel and a surprisingly decent cinnamon roll — I actually like them without frosting.

Honestly, though, the most remarkable items at Hongxing are their spreads. Red bean milk, durian, coffee latte and even lemon curd. Have you ever made lemon curd? I’d rather just buy it here. A nice companion to their single-packed slices of bread, so fresh they come stamped with the actual date, if only a little wasteful. Wash it all down with a sundae before the weather gets nippy.

Hey, I did not forget about the milk. Hongxing has a full-fledged milk bar conveniently placed on the final way to the cashier, where you can grab your own freshly sterilized glass milk bottle — either big or small — from their display cabinet and handle their tap yourself for a healthy dash of milk.

I’m not saying it’s A2A2, raw or any of the trendy tags, but at RMB 10 for the big bottle that you can keep, it’s creamy, it’s yummy and above all, it will make for a super cute picture next to their retro posters and microwave station.

Cream and pastels, cushy carbs and affordable prices — it’s a fun visit to Zhangzizhonglu on your way to the nearby cafés and restaurants.

Hongxing Qianjin Bread and Milk Company 红星前进面包牛奶公司
138 Dongsi Beidajie, Dongcheng District
东城区东四北大街138号
Hours: 9.30pm-8pm

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Images: Ana Padilla Fornieles