25 year old Jamie Houghton, a pastry chef at Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons has been crowned the overall winner of the 2017 UK Pastry Open.
Houghton was also awarded the prize for Best Sugar Piece and Best Tasting Entremet.
Over the course of 6 hours, Houghton and 8 other competitors created 5 plated desserts of their own creation and to match their chosen theme for the competition and their choice of either:
A Valrhona Chocolate sculpture and two 8 portion fruit entremets using Les Vergers Boiron fruit purée (one for display and one for tasting). The display must measure 125cm tall, with a 60x40cm base. It must include 1 original chocolate flower, as well as 20% modelling. A maximum of 50% cast chocolate is allowed.
OR A sugar sculpture and two Valrhona chocolate entremets (one for display and one for tasting). The display must be 125cm tall, with a 60x40cm base. This must include 30% pulled sugar with at least a rose flower, some ribbon, plus 20% of blown sugar.
OR An ice sculpture and two frozen entremets using Les Vergers Boiron fruit purées (one for display and one for tasting). The display must be made from 2 blocks of ice and once finished, must be 160cm tall.
Houghton showcased a ‘Flight’ theme, with a distinctive red sugar biplane, a Valrhona chocolate entremet, complete with moving propeller, and an orange domed plated dessert.
The win instantly places Houghton as one of the three pastry chefs that will go on to represent the UK at the 30th World Pastry Cup in Lyon in 2019, where 22 countries will compete to win.
He also receives a 3 day course at the Chicago School of Pastry, a 3 day sugar showpiece class with Emmanuel Forcone, a Classic Fine Foods pastry chef hamper, as well as 8 Grands Crus bars of Valrhona chocolate, the Valrhona Chocolate Encyclopedia and a bag of Guanaja couverture.
After the result was announced, Houghton said: “It will be a true honour to represent my country in such a prestigious competition that is the Coupe du Monde.
I believe that the Coupe du Monde gives the Pastry profession a better visibility and makes it more accessible to the public, while giving the pastry chefs an occasion to showcase their talents. It is also interesting to see how versatile chocolate, sugar or ice can be.”
