Grands Moulins de Paris and theParis School of Baking and Pastry (EBP Paris) celebrate the stunning victories of Fabien Nolay, a baking instructor, at the 2024 World Bakery Cup, and those of Alistair Smith, a former student and apprentice pastry instructor, at the Junior Pastry World Cup!
Both of them, along with their teammates, have proudly flown the French flag and helped showcase our much-envied French expertise. We are truly proud to count such a high standard of excellence among the members of the Confrérie des Boulangers Grands Moulins de Paris.
A historic victory for France at the 2024 World Bakery Cup, led by Fabien Nolay, an instructor at EBP Paris
The victory was announced by Dominique Anract, President of the National Confederation of French Bakers and Pastry Chefs (CNBPF), adding a particularly symbolic touch to this remarkable triumph for France, which had not stood on the top step of the podium for 16 years!
The French team—comprising Fabien Nolay for pastries, Franck Fortier for bread, and Xavier Sacriste for the artistic piece, and coached by Grégoire Bardet—shone brightly during this World Cup, which took place at the SIRHA Europain 2024 trade show in Paris.
Over two days of intense competition, ten teams from around the world, each consisting of three contestants, competed in four demanding challenges: baguette and world breads, pastries, bakery service, and an artistic creation on the theme of sports (a nod to the Olympic Games to be held this year in France) under the watchful eye of a prestigious jury chaired by Craig Ponsford and Christian Vabret.
France takes first place at the Junior Pastry World Cup for the first time, with Alistair Smith, a former student and apprentice trainer at EBP Paris
It was an exciting week, as at the same time, Alistair Smith and his French teammates were in Italy at SIGEP, where they won the Junior World Pastry Cup. France had never won this title before!
The French team, consisting of Alistair Smith (2021 Best Apprentice in France, Restaurant Dessert) and Julien Maheux (2023 Stéphane Glacier Trophy), and coached by Pierre-Henri Roullard (Best Craftsman of France in Pastry 2023), brilliantly competed against the eleven teams from around the world under the watchful eye of a renowned jury, chaired by Iginio Massari and Eugenio Morrone.
With the theme “Myths and Legends” chosen by competition president Roberto Rinaldini, they celebrated our nation’s culture and history by creating one artistic sugar piece, one chocolate piece, 4 desserts, 17 plated desserts, 15 vegan ice cream sundaes, and 17 “street food” desserts, drawing inspiration from the enchanted forest of Brocéliande.
Our champions, our pride!
These two victories are not only the result of Fabien and Alistair’s individual talent, but also of a shared passion, hard work, and exceptional team spirit! We are proud to see our staff and students reach such heights and continue to raise the bar for excellence in French baking and pastry-making around the world.
Relive Fabien Nolay’s victory at the 2024 World Bakery Cup in the segment from the show *66 Minutes*, which aired on Sunday, January 28, 2024, on M6. The documentary traces part of his journey, from his preparations at the school to the announcement of his title as World Champion.
