Florian Poirot of FP Macaroons wins UK Pastry Open

By Emma Eversham

- Last updated on GMT

Florian Poirot's winning fairground-themed sugar sculpture
Florian Poirot's winning fairground-themed sugar sculpture

Related tags Chocolate

Florian Poirot, a York-based patissier, has been announced the winner of the third UK Pastry Open.

Poirot, owner of FP Macaroons, wowed judges at the competition final at The Restaurant Show on Monday with his sugar sculpture inspired by the theme 'Fairground'.

By winning Best Overall, Poirot who also won the Best Sugar Display award, earns a place in the UK pastry team which will compete in the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie in Lyon in 2017.

Martin Chiffers, team president for the UK Pastry Team, said: "This is when the real work starts: Florian is a real asset to the team, as he has already worked so hard for this competition, so I know he’ll put in the work and time to prepare for 2017. We now need to complete the selection and start practising."

Competition

The UK Pastry Open saw six competitors take six hours to produce either a chocolate or sugar display as well as a chilled dessert made from either Valrhona chocolate or fruit puree.

Christopher Zammit of Camilleri Kitchen won the other two awards - Best Chocolate Display and Best Tasting Dessert, winning a three day stage at the Valrhona chocolate school.

This year's competition - the third of its kind - was particularly challenging after a chocolate tempering machine broke down meaning that 50kg of chocolate had to be tempered by hand.

Winning sculpture

Poirot's winning red and yellow sculpture was inspired by roller coasters and fairground games. The centrepiece featured handmade sugar darts exploding into a target, as well as a rollercoaster rail, fairground signs and flashing lights.

The patissier's fruit dessert, inspired by his childhood memory of lights at the fairground, featured a crunchy base with layers of mango cremeux, hazelnut daquoise a Valrhona Gianduja (made with Valrhona Jivara, Cocoa butter and Piedmont IGP Hazelnuts) and Valrhona Gianduja mousse.

As well as a place in the Poirot wins £500 in cash and a week's long stage at the French Pastry School of Chicago.

All candidates received a Kenwood Triblade Hand Blender; a signed book from Jury President, Stephane Glacier MOF; a goody bag from Valrhona; a book from Martin Chiffers and goody bags from Bravo, Classic Fine Foods and Les Vergers Boiron.

Related topics Business & Legislation Fine Dining

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