Zut alors! French retail giant Carrefour has found a new croissant supplier - in Scotland.

In a ‘coals to Newcastle’-style deal, gluten-free specialist Genius is to roll out free-from products including croissants to the Paris-based retailer’s Spanish stores. The pastries will be manufactured in the UK and sold frozen.

Free-from experts have described croissants, which Genius launched in the UK in March with a rollout to 800 Tesco stores, as one of the hardest products to make gluten free as there is no direct substitute for the very fine wheat flour normally used.

The listing is the latest international win for Edinburgh-based Genius, which already supplies its gluten-free bread and pizza to 320 stores operated by Carrefour in Spain. The new deal will see the retailer’s hypermarket outlets carry an extended range including pancakes and pitta bread.

“The extended deal with Carrefour is another valuable stepping stone for us as we strive to become a household name in the European gluten-free market,” said Genius CEO Roz Cuschieri.

Genius, which in effect created a new market when founder Lucinda Bryce-Gardyne launched fresh gluten-free bread in 2009, has come under increasing pressure at home as new players, including own-label and Warburtons, have entered the market.

Genius, which also sells in North America, has increased its range outside the bread category and this summer launched gluten-free products for foodservice.

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