UK Pastry Team reaches highest ever ranking in Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie at the Sirha in Lyon

The pastry team representing the UK was fifth behind Malaysia, Japan, Italy and the USA, and won the competition’s eco-responsibility award and sugar prize

The UK team came fifth in this year’s the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie at the Sirha exhibition in Lyon on the competition’s 30th anniversary, the best ranking reached by a UK team in the awards' history. Founder Chef Gabriel Paillasson, M.O.F. shared the stage with the team, crowning them winners of the 2019 eco-responsibility award and the prize for the best sugar work.

Malaysia’s team took first place, followed by Japan, Italy and the USA. Of the more unusual awards, Australia won the prize for the best vegan dessert on a place, and

UK Team captain, Jamie Houghton was the Winner of the UK Pastry Open at The Restaurant Show in October 2017 and pastry sous-chef under chef pâtissier Benoit Blin MCA at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’saisons.

Winner of the UK Pastry Open’s best chocolate showpiece award and Cordon Bleu graduate Sarju Ranavaya was the team’s contender for chocolate.

Chris Seddon, pastry chef at Coutts Bank on The Strand and reserve on the 2017 UK Pastry team in the Coupe, created the team's ice piece.

Coaching the team was Denis Dramé MCA, pastry chef for TheTasteLab by Classic Fine Foods London, who also worked under Raymond Blanc and Benoit Blin at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

They presented an urchin-shaped ice cream dessert featuring apricot sorbet, almond ice cream, almond juniper berries and apricot cremeux; an oceana themed vegan dessert with whipped timut foam, sable, vegan royal icing, almond sponge, raspberry and beetroot gel, rhubarb and beetroot sorbet and rhubarb compote; a layered chocolate cake containing honey chocolate sponge, curcuma cremeux, cold chocolate cream, dark chocolate ganache and chocolate & honey mousse, and a visually arresting hand-sculped chocolate and sugar piece:

*Final piece* the most amazing Oceana: chocolate & sugar sculpture
Fish, waves,fins,spine,shells,flowers, ribbon & not a mould in sight!
AMAZING TEAM UK!!! Such a stunning piece. TEAM UK for 2019: @houghton1990 @seddonpastry #Sarju @denisdrame @BenoitBlin_MCA pic.twitter.com/zYh2ztocdE
— UK Pastry Club/Team (@PastryTeamUK) 28 January 2019

Prominent pastry chefs including Andrea Ruff and mentor Benoit Blin took to social media to congratulate the team:

????????5th in the world! Wowsa highest position ever for @pastryteamUK at @CMP_Lyon well done chaps, absolutely brilliant performance! ???????????? @Seddonpastry @houghton90 #SarjuRanavaya #MichaelKwan pic.twitter.com/J0zBG3iMYe
— andrea ruff (@andrearuff) 28 January 2019

Meanwhile, fans who had travelled to Lyon to show their support did so, very vocally:

You can always rely on British people to bring some energy! ????☝ #Sirha2019 #cmpatisserie #cmp2019 pic.twitter.com/u9Rq0tSeHY
— CoupeMondePâtisserie (@CMP_Lyon) 28 January 2019

By Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox

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