The 2017 UK Pastry Team was announced at an exclusive afternoon tea at The Berkeley Hotel in London on 3 November.
Benoit Blin, Executive Pastry Chef of Le Manoir Aux Quatre Saisons and President of the UK Pastry Club, welcomed assembled sponsors, chefs and guests, saying:
“When we started the UK Pastry Club in 2011, our initial goal was to enter a UK team for the biennial Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie (The World Pastry Cup). Now, with our 2015 team achieving a top seven placement in this year’s competition, we are not only assured a place in the final (avoiding the European Pastry Cup heat), but we can use our resources to really develop and showcase the pastry profession in the UK.”
Martin Chiffers has once again been announced as Team President of the UK Pastry Team. He will coach and mentor the selected candidates, in order to make sure that they are in the best shape possible for the gruelling competition in Lyon in January 2017, when the team will have six hours to make:
- 3 Valrhona chocolate desserts
- 3 frozen fruit desserts
- 12 identical desserts on plate
- 1 sugar sculpture
- 1 Valrhona chocolate sculpture
- 1 ice sculpture
The Team and reserves
Based on their performance at the UK Pastry Open, held in October, the confirmed candidates are:
Christopher Zammit, Camilleri Kitchen , East Sussex
Florian Poirot – FP Macaroons, York
The team captain will be this year’s ice specialist and the Café Royal’s Executive Pastry Chef, Andrew Blas.
In a first for the UK Pastry Team, Martin Chiffers also announced three reserves, who will train alongside the rest of the team, developing their skills in tandem. These three candidates are:
Chris Seddon, ice candidate reserve, Coutts
Joakim Prat, sugar candidate reserve, Maitre Choux
Dale Desimone, chocolate candidate reserve, Grosvenor House.
Hardest prep ever
Martin Chiffers said:
“We’ve come a long way since we started in 2011, but we can’t rest on our laurels. Although the top seven placement for 2015 means we can use all our resources for the 2017 final, without needing to qualify for the European Pastry Cup, we will have a lot of practice and planning ahead. I want to try and fit in at least thirty five practice sessions, so it’s going to be the hardest prep ever.”
Picture by: www.jamesgiffordmead-photography.co.uk