The 52nd edition of the Championnat de France du Dessert 2026, organized by Cultures Sucre, took place on March 18 and 19 at the Lycée Jean-Baptiste-Chardin à Gérardmer (Vosges). Chaired by Michael Bartocetti, chef pâtissier exécutif du Four Seasons – Hotel George V à Paris, it gathered eight junior finalists and eight professional finalists from the regional finals held throughout France.

In the professional category, Adrien Salavert, from Les belles Perdrix de Troplong Mondot*, in Saint-Emilion, won the title of champion with the dessert “Between meadow and dessert”, made with kiwi, nettle, and cottage cheese. In the Junior category, the title went to Bastien Meulot, from the Lycée des Métiers de Bazeilles, with his proposal “A Stop in Ferebrianges.”

The candidates had to overcome a double challenge in four hours and 50 minutes: to prepare two plated desserts for ten people. The first, the ‘panier’ dessert, was the most dreaded challenge of the competition, since the theme, ingredients, and technique were not revealed until the start of the challenge. The juniors had to prepare a ‘bistronomic’ dessert with rice pudding, in which flavor, seasoning, and texture took precedence over mere aesthetics. For the professionals, the requirement was to place the ‘sauce to eat’ in the center of the plate, around a roasted fruit—apple and/or pear—worked in various textures, with character and depth.

The second dessert consisted of reproducing the creation with which the contestants had qualified for the regional finals.

“I have participated in numerous regional and national finals of the Championnat de France du Dessert, and I see how the level improves year after year. Presiding over this 52nd edition has been a true honor, both for the quality of the creations and for the remarkable cohesion among the contestants and their assistants. Beyond the competition, this contest is a genuine human adventure. It allows contestants to measure themselves against the best of their generation and constitutes an extremely formative experience, made up of work, training, and questioning, with the reward of a real leap forward professionally,” says Bartocetti.