Who is Laelya Van Der Vliet, France's Best Apprentice in Pastry?
The young woman has just won the Best Apprentice of France Pastry Competition. Find out more about her career and her dreams.
After winning the local competition in Ile-de-France, Laelya Van Der Vliet was crowned France's Best Apprentice in Pastry in April 2024. The competition, held this year in Dijon, in the heart of the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie & du Vin, saw fourteen candidates from all over France compete against each other, on the theme of "L'Artisanat, un savoir-faire à la française". A few days after her victory, Laelya Van Der Vliet tells us more about her background and ambitions.
"My passion for pastry has grown over time".
Aged just 17, France's Best Apprentice has long known what she wants to do with her life. "I started pastry-making with my family, for events like birthdays. Then I visited hotel schools, met chefs, took part in masterclasses, and that reinforced my desire. My passion for pastry has grown over time", smiles Laelya Van Der Vliet.
After completing a CAP Pâtisserie at the Ferrandi school, the young apprentice from Versailles embarked on a Mention complémentaire Pâtisserie-Chocolaterie-Glacerie-Confiserie at the École de Boulangerie Pâtisserie in Paris. "I'm currently an apprentice at La pâtisserie FINE in Versailles, with chef Sébastien Serveau, who has worked at the Ritz Paris," she explains.
It was with this mentor, but also with her family, that Laelya prepared for the Best Apprentice of France competition, after her days working in the store. "It's a highly recognized competition and I love a challenge. I'd been saying tomyself for years that I'd take part, and I haven't looked back", she enthuses. The young woman, up against thirteen other competitors, had 8 hours to create 2 chocolate tarts, 16 coffee eclairs, 2 Saint-Honoré, 24 sweet petits fours, 24 chocolate bonbons and an artistic piece in sugar and chocolate. "At the time, it was hard to realize that I'd won... But it was a relief and above all a huge source of pride! I'd worked really hard, and I was happy to win for all the people who'd helped me prepare, too", says Laelya.
Although the young pastry chef knows she still has a long way to go, she is already dreaming of a successful career in the profession. "One day,I'd like to become the head pastry chef at a major hotel or palace, and then open my own boutique," says Laelya Van Der Vliet.
