I queued for an hour to buy a £4 croissant and it was absolutely worth it

Sitting on a bench in Sefton Park with pistachio cream running down my chin and pastry crumbs covering my t-shirt, I knew it had all been worth it.

I'd just finished my first treat from L17 bakery Lunko, and was about to get stuck into my second course. The small shop opened its doors in June to the excitement of many Aigburth residents, with customers travelling from across the city to pick up a selection of freshly made pastries.

Within days of launching their store on Little Parkfield Road, just off Lark Lane, staff found themselves opening the door to queues down the street before they even started trading. The bakery is the first venue from married couple Adelina Blanaru, 28, and Marius Dogaru, 29.

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Originally from Romania, they moved to Kirkby in 2015, after briefly living in Paris while Marius trained as a pastry chef. The two launched popular bakery The Butterholic during the pandemic, taking online orders and supplying venues across Merseyside. Now they have opened Lunko - their first shop.

I've walked past the queue several times since Lunko first opened and always thought to myself 'surely, the pastries can't be *that* good.' The shop has even started popping up on my Instagram feed and TikTok For You Page, with influencers and food bloggers sharing their 'bakery hauls' and glowing reviews.

With so much hype around this new business, I'd all but convinced myself that the baked goods couldn't possibly live up it. I've never been so happy to be proved wrong.

On Sunday, September 17, I had a friend visiting for the weekend and decided it was the perfect time to brave the queue.