World Pastry Cup 2023: a masterful pursuit of dessert excellence

Chef Mauro Colagreco, owner of three-Michelin star restaurant Mirazur, judging the restaurant style desserts presented at the 2023 edition of The World Pastry Cup

There was also a tasting jury, composed of pastry chefs designated by each team, who rated the presentation, taste, working techniques, skills, respect for the products, and originality of the recipes.

Pastry Chef Cédric Grolet was Honorary President of the 2023 edition of The World Pastry Cup

There was a significant emphasis on social responsibility at Sirha Lyon this year, evidenced by the World Pastry Cup’s promotion of a more sustainable and environmentally friendly pastry. This approach was reflected in the ban on using additives and colouring agents in all of the challenges, in the choice of raw materials selected from partners renowned for their transparency and control over the origins and the production methods, and also in the evaluation of the accuracy between the weight of the desserts and the recipes sent by the teams. Waste sorting was compulsory, and all of the products processed and used during the two days of the competition were donated.

Egypt’s entry to the 2023 edition of The World Pastry Cup

The teams were required to keep the World Pastry Cup International Organizing Committee (I.O.C.) informed about their sustainability approaches and specific techniques. As emphasized by Honorary President Cédric Grolet, “We have become more attentive to the origin of raw materials, to check that they come from organic farming, to favor French producers as much as possible, and to avoid waste as far as possible, as well as aiming for zero plastic in our packaging.”

Tunisia’s entry to the 2023 edition of The World Pastry Cup

I thought Italy was going to win The World Pastry Cup, after coming in first place 2 years prior, and on 2 other occasions. Their antelope made of chocolate and sugar was breathtakingly beautiful, a poetic joy to the eyes, and an affirmation of superb creativity, skills, and attention to detail.

In the end, Italy was third…

France was second…

France’s entry to the 2023 edition of The World Pastry Cup

… and Japan won the gold with their creation focused on renewable energy. After finishing second in the last 5 editions of the competition, the team composed of Chefs Moe Takashi, Naritoshi Suzuka and Yusaku Shibata won the first gold medal for Japan since 2007, and a third World Cup overall win for the country.

Japan’s winning entry to the 2023 edition of The World Pastry Cup

The USA team, composed of Chefs François Behuet (chocolate), Jordan Snider (sugar), and Julie Eslinger (ice), placed 7^th.

USA’s entry to the 2023 edition of The World Pastry Cup

Canada’s team (10th place) won the special World Pastry Cup eco-responsible award for their outstanding commitment to environmentally conscious practices.

Canada’s entry to the 2023 edition of The World Pastry Cup