France wins European selection for the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie

On Monday January 19, 2026, at Sirha Bake & Snack, the French team won the European selection for the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, after two days of competition at the highest level. This victory confirms French excellence in a discipline where creativity, technique and emotion come together at the highest level.

Three talents, one team

Composed of Yoan Palamara for chocolate, Abel Nesson for sugar and Axel Lebellanger for ice cream, and supervised by coach Franck Michel, the French team made the difference against seven other European nations. Belgium took second place, while Italy completed the podium. The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, ranked fourth and fifth respectively, also booked their places at the Grand Final of the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, scheduled for Sirha Lyon in January 2027.

During 5h30 of intense competition, the candidates faced a series of demanding challenges: revisiting the Tarte Tatin in individual format, designing iced desserts on a plate, proposing innovative chocolate creations, creating three artistic pieces in chocolate, sugar and water ice, and orchestrating a buffet showcasing all their work.

This year's European edition also saw a dynamic modernization of the competition, with the chocolate event taking on a street-food feel, with finger-food-style creations finalized live in front of the jury. Another significant development was the return of ice cream candidates to the continental selections, reinforcing team cohesion and the technical richness of the performances.

President of the competition, Pierre Hermé hailed the level of competition as particularly high, marked by the originality of the flavors and the quality of the artistic pieces. An enthusiasm shared by Christophe Devoille, Honorary President of this selection, impressed by the creativity and audacity of this new generation of pastry chefs.

After Europe, the continental selections will continue throughout the world in 2026, before bringing together the best international teams for the grand final in Lyon in 2027. In the meantime, France can savour a victory that reinforces its status as a world benchmark in pastry-making.