Baker finishes second in pain au chocolat contest

A baker from Nantes, Arnaud Busserolles, placed second in France’s national competition for the best pain au chocolat, a type of chocolate-filled pastry. The event, called the Master national du meilleur pain au chocolat, occurred in Paris during a chocolate fair and was the fifth edition organized by the Confédération nationale de la boulangerie-pâtisserie française, a French bakery and pastry association.

Normandy baker wins national title

The winner of the competition was Justin Brocq, a baker from Normandy, who succeeds Valentin Feiller from Mayenne. This marks the first time Brocq has won the title, continuing a tradition of regional bakers competing for recognition in this prestigious contest.

Criteria for judging the pastries

Arnaud Busserolles, the founder of Arno boulangerie in Nantes, nearly secured the national title. The competition’s organizers emphasized strict evaluation criteria, including cooking technique, the pastry’s surface brilliance, shape regularity, volume, and overall harmony. The balance between chocolate and puff pastry, as well as the chocolate’s texture, were also judged.

Jury evaluates technical skill

The jury, led by Xavier Bordet, a baker from Puy-de-Dôme, assessed the entries based on these criteria. Each baker had to submit five identical pain au chocolat made with pure butter and weighing between 55 and 65 grams after cooking. The organizers noted that the pastry’s flakiness, regularity, and texture reflect the bakers’ technical mastery.