National and international pastry chefs were put to the test in this year’s competition.

As we end the final day of the second annual 2017 Savour Patissier of the Year competition, I have been extremely impressed by what I’ve seen plated up across the past three days. The talent at this year’s competition has been outstanding and I’m so excited to see what the future holds for the industry, both on a national and international scale.

This year we welcomed some of the best young pasty chefs from around the globe. Finalists came from as far as Belgium, the US and Sweden, and were personally selected based on their skills and experience, which made for an exhilarating competition.

With contestants of the highest calibre participating in this year’s competition, it was only fitting that we have the best in the industry to judge the event. Finalists were given the opportunity to showcase their skills and expertise before a world-class panel: World Pastry Cup winner, author and TV star Christophe Michalak; winner of Best Pastry Chef in the World Jordi Roca; owner of Bachour Bakery and Bistro in Miami Antonio Bachour; and Winner of Best Chocolates in the World and Savour’s very own Paul Kennedy. 

The competitors had the chance to enter across four categories, spanning desserts, tarts, entremets and éclairs. Each competitor was asked to have all the components of their dish prepared, including the finishing touches and garnishes, before presenting to the judges.

The competition kicked off with the category of tarts and it was mesmerising to watch the room of pastry chefs, each composed and wholly concentrated on the task at hand. Tarts are incredibly versatile and offer so many opportunities to impress in a competition like this. We saw tarts layered with chocolate and an array of different fruits and flavours – which sure got everyone excited. We watched as the judges scanned over the final products, scoring on innovation, shape, size, flavour and filling. There is such a level of skill that goes into crafting the perfect tart, from glazes to piping techniques and chocolate garnishes.

After such a successful opening category, everyone was eager to see what the competitors would serve up next in the desserts category. Again, beautifully plated products were produced and nothing short of spectacular. Each dessert was judged on flavour and texture, which are two extremely important elements to consider when creating any type of dessert—the pair must co-exist to make a truly great dessert.

During the final two days of the event we saw contestants take on the categories of éclairs and entremets. The pressure of the competition started to build as finalists were asked to present a modern interpretation of an éclair that must be a maximum of 20mm in length and offer a multitude of textures and flavours. This exciting category was introduced to reflect the growing trends and modern spins on patisserie classics.

As we entered the final day of the competition, the stakes were high, which was no surprise given the standard so far. Not only were more desserts presented today, but also entremets. Entremets, a mousse-based cake, can be extremely challenging to create due to the numerous layers, textures and fillings involved. Competitors had to showcase entremets that were comprised of all three elements, which is exactly what the judges got.

In what was a nail-biting finale and an exceptional three days of competition, the scores were weighed up across each of the categories and Santiago Cuyugan was named as this year’s 2017 Savour Patissier of the Year winner—scoring the highest combined score across all categories. It was incredible to see so many people come together in support of this amazing industry and the next generation of world-class pastry chefs. I started the 2017 Savour Patissier of the Year competition with the aim of developing a platform to recognise and showcase the talent of both national and international pastry chefs and I’m truly honoured to have had the best in the world at this year’s event.

Category winners included:

Desserts: Alessandro Bartesaghi
Tarts: Vincent Denis
Entremets: Santiago Cuyugan
Éclairs: Joshua Cochrane.