It's one of our country's proudest achievements! Every day, 12 million French people push open the doors of a bakery to buy their baguette. While some have a slight preference for the white baguette, others swear by stone-ground or cereal bread. And then, of course, there are the die-hard fans of traditional baguettes.
Every year, gourmet competitions are held to reward the best traditional French baguettes in each département of the Paris region. After discovering the winners in Seine-Saint-Denis, Essonne and Seine-et-Marne, let's take a look at the results and the winners in Yvelines.
The 14th edition of the competition for the best traditional French baguette in Yvelines took place on March 26, 2024, with numerous candidates competing in three categories: employers/entrepreneurs, employees and apprentices. The prize-giving ceremony took place on April 6, to the delight of many of the 78 region's artisan bakers. So, who are the lucky winners?
Pierre Laigneau of L'Épi du Roi bakery and patisserie in Versailles won first prize in the competition for the best traditional baguette in Yvelines (employer category). He beat Michel Ferry from boulangerie Ferry in Meulan-en-Yvelines, who came second, and Haj Lazghab from boulangerie aux Saveurs de Bailly in Bailly, who took third place.
In the " salaried employees " category, Aurélien Boso of boulangerie Ferry in Meulan-en-Yvelines came first, while Hikari Inui of boulangerie-pâtisserie Au Chant du Coq in Versailles took second place, followed by Zouhair Byadi of boulangerie Ferry in Meulan-en-Yvelines.
Finally, on the apprentice side, Maxime Bougeard from the L'Épi du Roi bakery in Versailles took first prize!
Congratulations to all the winners and participants!