The UK team for the forthcoming Pastry World Cup in Lyon has been announced. Happening in Lyon on the 25th and 26th of January next year the team will compete to win the title of best pastry chef in world.
The chefs will fight for first place against competitors from: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Tunisia, and USA.
Meet the UK team:
Martin Chiffers
President / Team Coach
International Consultant Patissier – Chocolatier, “CHIFFERS” Mitsukoshi Ginza Tokyo.
Martin is a world renowned and very experienced Executive Pastry Chef and International Pastry Consultant who has been working in the hospitality industry for over 30 years at some of World's most famous hotels & largest F&B from across the world.
He is also the only Pastry Chef in the world to win the European Pastry Cup Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie twice in 2012 & 2014 held in Paris & Geneva with best sugar & chocolate pieces & highest points in all categories consecutively.
Martin was also the coach for Ruth Hinks UK World Chocolate Master 2013, & was able to coach Ruth to a top 5 position in at The World Chocolate Masters held in Paris October 2013 the highest ever position for The UK.
He has earned numerous gold medals at many other prestigious international culinary competitions in the UK, France, The United States, Singapore and the Culinary Olympics Luxembourg and was awarded Caterer Pastry Chef of the year for the Middle East 2010.
He said: “It is my goal to continue to maintain, raise the standards of excellence promoting the public awareness of the pastry profession. Injecting & sharing new passionate innovations & ideas using the finest quality local & international ingredients & fresh produce available, creating a new benchmark in the culinary arena”.
Barry Johnson
Team Captain / Candidate Chocolate
Principal Chocolatier Rococo Chocolates
Barry Johnson is a meticulous and passionate chocolatier and pastry chef, whose attention to detail and innovative flavours have won him honours including gold and silver medals at the 2013 Academy of Chocolate Awards and the 2013 International Chocolate Awards.
He was also awarded the title of UK Pastry Open taste and overall winner in 2013 and captained the UK team to First place in the European Pastry cup in Geneva in 2014.
Barry trained as a pastry chef at The Connaught Hotel under Michel Boudin and Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir au Quat Saisons. During that time he won the Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Award of Excellence in pastry and a scholarship trip to America.
He joined Rococo Chocolates in early 2012 and has enjoyed the challenges of increasing couture chocolate production, developing his own flavours, helping to write Rococo – mastering the art of chocolate, training his young team, giving demonstrations and teaching master classes at the Rococo Chocolate School.
Javier Mercado
Candidate Sugar
Patisserie Teaching Chef – Le Cordon Bleu London
Javier has joined forces with Le Cordon Bleu since 2012, and was a senior Lecturer at Westminster Kingsway College, London since 2004. Previously, he has worked in America as the Head Pastry Chef at the Washington Inn, Cape May New Jersey. Here, his meticulous talent in creating beautiful desserts as well as display work became pronounced.
Two and a half years later, he decided to move and help lead a brigade of 12 at the Prestigious Ritz Carlton, Tysons Corner Virginia, where banquets and production were priority.
Javier became acquainted with wedding cakes as part of the leading role was creating over 192 wedding cakes (throughout an entire calendar year).
Andrew Blas
Candidate Ice
Executive Pastry Chef Café Royal Hotel
Andrew Blas is Executive Pastry Chef at Hotel Café Royal, responsible for heading up the pastry kitchens across all of the hotel’s culinary offerings, which include The Café, offering house-made artisan cakes, pastries and chocolates, the Ten Room restaurant, the iconic Oscar Wilde Bar, where Afternoon Tea is served daily, and The Domino new fine-dining restaurant in the private member’s club.
Turning this passion into a career, Andrew has trained at some of the finest kitchens alongside Michelin stared chefs such as Chris Meredith and Raymond Blanc. Achieving the awards of excellence was a big step in his carrier along with completing courses in bellouit counsel.
Being picked to be part of the UK pastry world cup team has been something Andrew has strived to achieve since first becoming a pastry chef.
Good luck!
