Chef Nicolas Fontaine, president of the 50th edition of the French dessert championship

Nicolas Fontaine supervise avec attention les prestations des candidats. ALISSANDRE ALLEMAND – Alissandre Allemand

This Thursday, January 11, the Purple Campus in Marguerittes hosted the southeast regional final of the French dessert championship. In the running are twelve junior and professional participants. 

Philippe Etchebest just has to behave. With a closed and concentrated face, Nicolas Fontaine, chef of Duende, the two-star of the Impérator, masterfully supervises on this Thursday, January 11, this fiftieth edition of the South-East regional final of the French dessert championship . "Two minutes and thirty”, he says to Lucas, the last junior candidate to present his dish to the jury. Atmosphere worthy of the greatest television culinary competitions.

Combining the Cévennes and Polynesia

The young man had, like his four junior counterparts, three hours in the kitchens of the Purple campus in Marguerittes to develop his dessert. An alliance between the Cévennes and Polynesia. "I wanted to transcribe the floral scents that we smell there, when we walk in the streets. The ice cream is made with tiare flower and vanilla to tie everything together. With the central element which is more about products from the Cévennes, explains the young pastry chef to the jury made up of ten professionals. 

Argelès-sur-Mer Objective

The objective for all is to offer a dessert that is original, technical, aesthetic and obviously delicious, while respecting the seasonality of the products. Goodbye to strawberries and other summer fruits in the desserts imagined for the competition.  

The junior, Gwendal Coatanhay, from the Saint-Chély-d'Apcher  high school (Lozère) and the professional, Taira Kawamura, pastry chef in Vienne (Isère)& ;nbsp;win their pass for the national final which will take place in Argelès-sur-Mer, on April 3 and 4.