Paris names best baguette maker in the city
After smelling, crackling, tasting, and scrupulously examining an interminably long row of baguettes, a panel of judges whittled down a list of 174 contenders, all vying for the Grand Prize for best baguette in Paris, to just one. Tuesday’s competition crowned Pascal Barillon the best baguette maker in Paris this year, a competition that turns […]
After smelling, crackling, tasting, and scrupulously examining an interminably long row of baguettes, a panel of judges whittled down a list of 174 contenders, all vying for the Grand Prize for best baguette in Paris, to just one.
Tuesday’s competition crowned Pascal Barillon the best baguette maker in Paris this year, a competition that turns humble bakers into instant celebrities and attracts snaking lines of customers outside their bakery every day.
The edible icon of Paris is an institution not just for tourists, but for the French who also rhapsodize about the best baguettes in the city.
Barillon, who owns Au levain d’antan in the Montmartre area of Paris, won the grand prize at the 17th annual competition, trumping 173 other bread batons in categories of appearance, doneness, innards, smell and taste.
In addition to winning ā¬4,000, it will be Barillon’s baguettes which will be served all year to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The panel of judges included artisanal bakers, food journalists and previous award winners.
Source: AFPrelaxnews
List of 2011 winners
Pascal Barillon (Au Levain dāAntan), 6 rue des Abbesses, 75018
GaĆ©tan Romp, 14 rue de la MichodiĆØre, 75002
Pascal Jamin (Les Saveurs du 20ĆØme), 120 rue de Bagnolet, 75020
Gontran Cherrier (Gontran Cherrier), 22 rue Caulaincourt, 75018
M. Risser (Le Fournil du Village), 12 place J.B. ClƩment, 75018
Gilles Levaslot (Les Gourmandises dāEiffel), 187 rue de Grenelle, 75007
Jean-Noƫl Julien (Julien), 75 rue Saint-HonorƩ, 75001
Philippe Marache, 92 av de la RĆ©publique Paris, 75011
Philippe Bogner, 204 rue des PyrƩnƩes, 75020
Le Grenier Ć Pain Saint-Amand, 33 bis rue Saint-Amand, 75015