The countdown begins for the European qualifying round of the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, known as the European Pastry Cup, which will take place on January 21 and 22, 2024 at Sirha Europain.

An edition that will incorporate new and ambitious tests and that will have a grand jury presided by Stéphane Leroux and formed by Guillaume Bichet (jury Switzerland), Alessandro Dalmasso (jury Italy), Jean-Philippe Darcis (jury Belgium), Maria Grave (jury Sweden), Michael Ho Lam Kwan (jury United Kingdom), Frank Michel (jury France), and Dennis Nielsen (jury Denmark).

 

Order of countries competing for the european selection for The Pastry World Cup

 

 

You can follow the competition live at this link.

 

Do you want to know the candidates from the seven countries that are going to compete?

 

Belgium

 

Djordy Van Kemseke (chocolate candidate)

Dito’s, Schilde

After training in ice cream, he learned pastry making, chocolate making, and sugar-making. Talented and ambitious, he won the Carpigiani Trophy in 2023, the Belgian championship for master ice-cream makers. He is currently the head of chocolate at Dito’s.

 

Raoul Andriessen (sugar candidate)

Piva School, Antwerp

After leading Belgian pastry shops such as Mahieu, De Baere, and Van Dender, the Dutchman Raoul Andriessen decided to dedicate himself to teaching. He is currently a teacher at Piva School, where he transmits his knowledge in sugar, pastry, ice cream, and confectionery. Additionally, this chef won the Dutch Pastry Award in 2023.

 

Denmark

 

Lea Marie Strøbæk (chocolate candidate)

Perron på BaneGaarden, Copenhagen

Trained in France with MOF Laurent Duchêne, she is the head pastry chef of BaneGaarden, a new events venue with a responsible approach. She is not new to this European qualifier, in 2022 she achieved third place together with Anne Banke, with whom she forms a team again.

 

Anne Banke (sugar candidate)

Formel B*, Copenhagen

She discovered her vocation for sugar sculpture after winning the Danish Championship in

skills in 2019. She is the head pastry chef at Formel B* and has already competed in the European Pastry Cup in 2022 together with Lea Marie Strøbæk, with whom she teams up again.

 

France

 

Haruka Atsuji (chocolate candidate)

Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse, Paris

She was born in Japan, although she learned chocolate in France with Frank Kestener. Winner of the Trophée Pascal Caffet in 2016, she has accompanied Alain Ducasse in the opening of seven Japanese boutiques. Since 2021, she is production manager of Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse in Paris.

 

Jérémy Massing (sugar candidate)

Sugar candidate for Team France at the 2023 Pastry World Cup

Originally from Metz, Jérémy Massing decided to train as a pastry chef in 2014 with the MOF Fran Fresson. He has held positions in important establishments such as the restaurant La Fourchette des Ducs*, the Hôtel Le Prince de Galles, and the Ritz Paris, before working as an instructor at the École Nationale Supérieure de la Pâtisserie. In 2023, he was runner-up with the French team in the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie.

 

Italy

 

Vincenzo Daloiso (chocolate candidate)

Pasticceria Venezuela of Daloiso Ignazio, Barletta

He worked in China and London before joining his family’s pastry shop, Venezuela, as head pastry chef. In 2023, at the age of 26, he won the title of Italian Senior Pastry Chef Champion.

 

Raimondo Esposito (sugar candidate)

Pasticceria Sal de Riso, Salerno

His name is known in the sector especially for working with Salvatore de Riso, famous Italian pastry chef. Very competitive, the chef finished in second place at the European Sugar Art Championship in 2023 within the framework of Sirha Lyon.

 

Sweden

 

Josefine Pagander (chocolate candidate)

Gothia Towers Svenska Massan, Gothenburg

As head pastry chef at Gothia Towers, she manages the pastry department and a team of six chefs. Involved in the national teams for young bakers since 2020 and pastry chefs since 2021, Josefine Pagander won the Swedish championship for professional pastry chefs in 2022.

 

Lisa Dagnäs (sugar candidate)

Operakällaren, Stockholm

From a very young age, Lisa Dagnäs has focused her efforts on competitions. To give some examples, she has taken part in the Swedish Championship for Young Bakers, the Nordic Pastry Cup in Oslo, and twice in the European selection of the Pastry World Cup. She is currently the head pastry chef at Operakällaren.

 

Switzerland

 

Pierre-Antoine Vardan (chocolate candidate)

Guillaume Bichet, Coppet

He began his apprenticeship in France and honed his skills alongside Patrick Roger. Later he joined the Guillaume Bichet pastry shop in Switzerland, where he has worked for six years as head of the chocolate laboratory.

 

Paul Perrin (sugar candidate)

Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville de Crissier***, Crissier

Paul Perrin started at Maison Fresson and then Maison Caffet before joining chef Franck Giovanni at the Hôtel de Ville de Crissier*** as a pastry chef.

 

United Kingdom

 

Wallace Cheuk Yin Li (chocolate candidate)

The Dorchester Hotel, London

Originally from Hong Kong, Wallace Cheuk Yin Lik is a passionate pastry chef who constantly develops his skills to generate new ideas. He is currently head pastry chef at The Dorchester Hotel in London.

 

Rémy Pugeot (sugar candidate)

The Raffles Hotel at The OWO, London

After an apprenticeship in Dijon, the French chef Rémy Pugeot decided in 2014 to continue his career in the United Kingdom. With extensive experience in hotels and restaurants such as Sketch London, JW Marriott Grosvenor House London and The Londoner Hotel, he is now executive pastry sous-chef at The Raffles Hotel at The OWO.