The Manchester-based bakery Half Dozen Other has been serving up delicious bakes for years now, but for the first time ever they are giving you an even more compelling reason to indulge, with a pastry which is not just mouth-watering, but charitable too.
Cue: the Trans Suisse, a clever take on a Pan Suisse comprised of a Nutella créme pâtissèrie and hazelnut praline encased in a flaky, buttery pastry. The iconic pale pink and blue of the trans flag are striped over the top and a coating of a sugar crust finishes off this beautiful bake. Three days of work go into each one, and this is very much reflected in the final product!
However, not only does the Trans Suisse look good, it does good as well. All of the profits made from its sales go directly to two charities supporting trans people: Not a Phase and Trans Mutual Aid Manchester.
The Mancunion sat down with the ingenious creator of the Trans Suisse, Robin Fox, to find out what inspired this delectable treat.
The idea began with some of the pride-themed bakes which Half Dozen did in 2024, which involved laminating different colours into the pastries “I wanted to do it for June this year for pride month” Robin tells me “but it was a week after the Supreme Court thing and I was like ‘Can I do the Trans Suisse in May?’”
This bake comes following the Supreme Court ruling, on 16th April, which changed the legal definition of a woman, meaning that gender recognition certificates will no longer permit trans people access to single sex spaces. There has been an outpouring of fear and disappointment amongst the trans community following this ruling, and whilst pastries are yet to change the world, Half Dozen Other’s response is nothing short of *Chef’s Kiss*.
And I am certainly not the only person who thinks so. “It’s gone really well, which really surprised me!” Robin laughs when I put this to him, but having tasted the pastry, its popularity is certainly no surprise. My first attempt to try one was a spectacular failure as, having opened at 9, the bakery had completely sold out by 9:30, ruining my plans for a post run treat.
The Trans Suisse is available at the Red Bank and Circle Square locations daily, and from Friday through Sunday at all other locations. I would recommend that you get in there fast though, because whilst it is possibly the most middle class problem I have ever had, it is genuinely devastating to arrive at the bakery and be told ‘I’m so sorry, but we’ve sold out.’
I asked Robin what he hoped to achieve with the Trans Suisse and sat outside the bakery’s flagship location in Red Bank, it is clear that at its heart, this bake is a celebration of the trans experience. “A lot of the stuff around trans stuff in the news is all negative” Robin begins “so its nice to have people to be able to talk about trans rights in a positive way and go ‘Oh, that’s really nice, I’ll buy a pastry.’”
With a smile that is nothing short of infectious, Robin’s passion for both baking and the trans community really is a spark of light in a conversation that is all too often mired by misunderstanding and misinformation. “The trans community has been hurt a lot recently .. and it’s not nice to be part of a group that’s constantly spoken down to and punched down on.” Robin tells me, “its just nice to try and do a more positive thing with it and give people an opportunity to speak positively about trans people”. Whilst the Trans Suisse is unlikely to change the minds of bigots in this country, I think that the positive conversation it fosters is incredibly valuable nonetheless.
Moreover, it is not often that buying a pastry is a charitable act, but in that respect the Trans Suisse is truly magical.
Not a Phase is a national charity which offers services like Misfits, a programme to allow gender non-conforming people access to fitness classes at gyms across the country in an effort to include them in a space which can otherwise be dysphoric and intimidating.
They also offer resources such as voice coaching videos for people transitioning, support groups for people at all stages of their transition as well as their family and friends and social events to connect trans people.
Trans Mutual Aid Manchester, as the name may suggest, only operates in Manchester, but the work they do is equally important. They offer peer support groups, a healthcare fund, and advice on how to navigate the NHS as a trans person, amongst many other services.
The Supreme Court’s recent decision has undoubtedly put even more of a strain on these charities’ resources, but even that £5.50 for a Trans Suisse can make a difference, and in the most delicious way.
They also to occupy many locations in Manchester, one of which is a ten minute walk from campus up Oxford Road. What better way to celebrate the sun than an, I’m sure, well-deserved study break for a Trans Suisse? Enjoy!
