Malaysia takes gold in Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie as UK places fifth

29 January 2019 by
Malaysia takes gold in Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie as UK places fifth

The Malaysian contingent beat Japan, who ranked second, and Italy, who took bronze. Japan have now taken silver four competitions in a row, while Italy last took a podium position in 2015, when the nation's representatives won gold.

Team UK, one of the 21 finalists to qualify, was cheered on by scores of spectators in the Espace des Chefs at this year's Sirha convention in Lyon, France - including the supporters band for the English football team, which blasted Rule Britannia as the competitor's plates were presented.

So far no team from the United Kingdom has reached podium position in the competition's history. However, Jamie Houghton of Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Great Milton, Oxfordshire picked up the sugar award for his impressive aquatic sculpture - retaining the title for the UK for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, the team as a whole won the "eco-responsibility" award.

Dishes eaten by the judges included a chocolate dessert, an iced dessert and a vegan dish. The iced offering from Team UK was styled after a sea urchin and contained layers of apricot sorbet, almond ice-cream, almond juniper berries with apricot crémeux, apricot jelly, glaze and almond sablé.

team-uk-dishes
team-uk-dishes

The team's vegan main included a combination of rhubarb, beetroot and raspberry encased in a sheer white shell made of chickpea water to resemble a Baroque pearl.

Meanwhile, the show piece comprised sugar work from Jamie Houghton of Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, and chocolate skills from Sarju Ranavaya of the TasteLab at Classic Fine Foods, London. The sculpture, similarly themed around the aquatic, included two koi carp rendered in chocolate and sugar. Chris Seddon from Coutts Bank, London, took responsibility of the team's ice sculpture; while Michael Kwan, head pastry chef at Duddell's London, oversaw the operation as team president.

Houghton told The Caterer: "Collectively we had a vision that the display would be two dancing fish spinning around each other,, so to get that shape of the sugar fish diving and the chocolate spinning was the idea.

"We wanted to break the trend of everyone using moulds and extreme colours. We have gone back to the hand crafted art of sugar work and chocolate work to create something without moulds that still has the wow factor.

"Choosing to do a sugar peice that is just white and clear with a hint of blue was challenging, but the effect that it gave off was highly effective and one that im proud of.

"I didn't expect to get the sugar prize….. the level of sugar work was high with some great techniques from everyone. But I think where it stood out was the handwork… the use of no moulds, the flowers the ribbon the drama and the colour scheme. It made a statement and it stood out from the rest and it will be a memory that I will hold for a long time."

Team UK photo credit: Jodie Hinds

UK places eighth at 2017 at Coupe du Monde de la PÁ¢tisserie >>

Pastry Team UK kick off Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie competition >>

Jamie Houghton wins UK Pastry Open 2017 >>

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