Lovers of fine breads and pastries won’t want to miss this event! On Sunday, October 27, starting at 7pm, around the pool of the National Hotel in Miami Beach, the eagerly-awaited Best Baguette & Croissant competition in Florida (reserve your tickets here) promises an evening as tasty as it is exciting.
Sixteen finalists will present the fruit of their savoir-faire at this event full of sourdough and ambition, orchestrated by French Morning in partnership with the Chambre de métiers et de l’artisanat and the French American Association of Crafts and Trades (FAACT).
Appearance, texture, aroma… Nothing will escape the sharp eye and demanding palate of the professional jury, who will blind-taste the candidates’ croissants and baguettes before awarding the Grand Prix. This onerous task will fall to Laurent Branlard, two-time world pastry champion and head pastry chef at the iconic Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood; Stéphane Grattier, owner of Boulangerie Christophe in Washington DC and winner of the 2019 Best Baguette in the USA competition; Romain Dufour, who heads the kitchens of the Chicago Chocolate Academy; Valérie Girou Legouhy, co-founder of the World Gastronomy Organization; and William Leaman, founder of Bakery Nouveau bakeries and pastry shops in Seattle, 2005 Bakery World Cup champion, and bread sommelier.
But don’t be fooled into thinking that the verdict will be reserved exclusively for the experts. Like the 500 or so gourmands who took part in last year’s competition, you’ll have the opportunity to taste the breads and pastries of the participants and vote for your own prize: the Fan Prize.
So, who will be able to dethrone Bonjour Bakery and D’Liras, respectively crowned “best baguette” and “best croissant” in Florida in 2023? (The two winners won’t be able to compete in the category in which they triumphed last year.) The suspense is at its height.
Here are our sixteen lucky finalists, listed alphabetically:
1. Baker 305
After winning last year’s title of Florida’s “Best Pain au Chocolat” (or chocolatine, for the die-hards), Yusel Montelongo returns this year with the ambition of adding baguette or croissant to his list of honors. This Cuban baker, who has lived in the United States for over twelve years, runs Baker 305, a wholesale company specializing in breads and pastries in Florida.
Address: 711 NW 27th Ave, Miami
2. Bakery Lab
Cesar Castro, a pastry chef from Bogotá, Colombia, won Florida’s best tarte tropézienne competition last month. Heading up Bakery Lab, a Florida-based wholesale bakery, this South American artisan has no intention of stopping there. Driven by an unfailing passion, he continues to roll up his sleeves to offer creations that delight the taste buds.
Address: 5041 S State Rd 7, Davie
Contact: (786) 718-3218
3. Bakery X
Xavier and Laura Vital, owners of Bakery X in Wesley Chapel, north of Tampa, have taken the gamble of designing each of their products with love, using high-quality flour and butter imported from France. A testament to their success, it’s not uncommon to see the line of customers overflowing onto the sidewalk.
Address: 5840 Grand Oro Ln, Wesley Chapel
Contact: (813) 360-0886
4. Bettant Bakery
Matthieu Bettant, who runs Bettant Bakery on Washington Avenue in South Beach, is a fierce competitor. This chef-baker from Villeurbanne has only one objective in mind: to conquer. In the meantime, let’s not forget that he was awarded the prize for “best croissant” in 2022, a distinction far from insignificant.
Address: 1043 Washington Ave, Miami Beach
Contact: (305) 673-5522
5. Bonjour Bakery
Winner of the 2023 Grand Prix for the best baguette in Florida, Lucas Bistoquet, head baker at Bonjour Bakery – founded by Rochelais Éric Buffenoir and with four outlets in the Miami metropolitan area – returns this year with the intention of proving that the excellence of his products is not a fluke, but a true standard.
Addresses: 16650 SW 88th St, Miami; 1435 N Park Dr, Weston; 10800 Pines Blvd, Pembroke Pines; 997 N Greenway Dr, Coral Gables
Contact: (786) 534-8141
6. Cécile Bakery + Café
At the helm of Cécile Bakery + Café, Veronica Monnier leads her team of bakers and pastry chefs – with good humor and a keen eye for detail.
Address: 5744 Sunset Dr, South Miami
Contact: (305) 397-8206
7. Duran Bakehouse
Proud of his Ecuadorian roots, Mateo Duran proves that the art of baking goes beyond the French tradition, enriching itself with a savoir-faire imbued with diversity and passion. After working alongside a master chocolatier in Valladolid, Spain, and then for a two Michelin-starred restaurant in Brittany, this artisan, who until now has distributed his creations in Miami through various outlets, is preparing to inaugurate Duran Bakehouse, his very first establishment, in the Little Havana district.
Address: 2606 SW 8th St, Miami
8. Ficelle
Third time’s the charm. So says Olivier Rizk, who opened his first chain, Ficelle, in his native Miami at the end of 2021. This Haitian-American baker, after winning the title of Florida’s “Best Baguette” in 2022, and last year’s Fan Prize, is taking part for the third year running, more motivated than ever.
Address: 1440 NW N River Dr, Miami
Contact: (786) 688-3626
9. La Croquantine
Manager of the bakery-bistro La Croquantine for over five years, Matthieu Cartron perpetuates French artisanal techniques, favoring the use of fresh, preservative-free products. His croissants, strawberry tarts, and other sweet delights transport his customers directly to France.
Address: 7930 NW 36th St, Doral
Contact: (786) 899-0509
10. L’Atelier des Pains
After perfecting his art alongside Frédéric Lalos, Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), Yves François, a former compagnon du devoir, has taken the next step in realizing his entrepreneurial dream. This Parisian took his baguettes and croissants under his arm before crossing the Atlantic to open L’Atelier des Pains, his first store. Inaugurated in May 2023, L’Atelier des Pains can be found in Delray Beach, halfway between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
Address: 1445 N Congress Ave, Delray Beach
Contact: (347) 303-1237
11. Le Petit Paris
With nearly 30 years’ experience in the trade, Stéphan Martin is spreading the word about French savoir-faire in Winter Garden, near Orlando. Supported by his wife Véronique, this master pastry chef, chocolatier, and ice cream maker first opened two bakeries in France before pursuing his passion in Florida, where Le Petit Paris is now a household name.
Address: 1201 Winter Garden Vineland Rd, Winter Garden
Contact: (407) 614-4477
12. Lien Bruno
After managing two ice cream parlors in Hô Chi Minh, Vietnam, and honing her aesthetic skills as a professional makeup artist, Lien Bruno returned to France to study pastry at the prestigious École Ducasse in 2016. The following year, she opened two establishments in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. Now based in Coral Gables, this passionate artisan offers pastries that delight both the eyes and the taste buds.
Address: 135 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables
Contact: (786) 960-3218
13. Loïc Bakery
Consistency and rigor are the leitmotiv of Loïc Autret, who is behind the Loïc Bakery brand, founded in 2017 in West Palm Beach. This French artisan makes it a point of honor to shape each product according to traditional techniques, while ensuring that he offers a meticulous and authentic experience to his customers.
Address: 480 Hibiscus St, West Palm Beach
Contact: (561) 570-1425
14. Sandy Pesquero
The creative soul behind the ovens at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Sandy Pesquero brilliantly blends his South American heritage with French artisanal excellence. This passionate chef is constantly pushing the boundaries of taste and texture, creating breads that are both traditional and innovative.
Address: 280 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Naples
15. Sublime Crust
Co-founder of Sublime Crust in Fort Lauderdale, Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty, who holds a PhD in marine biology, chose to follow his true passion: culinary craftsmanship, and more specifically, baking. His career path, though far removed from gastronomy, bears witness to his commitment to understanding natural processes and the quality of ingredients. This self-taught baker, who trained with French baker François Brunet in New York, applies these principles to the creation of sourdough breads and artisanal products.
Address: 3000 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale
16. The Love Loaf
From financial management to baking, there’s only one step – or almost – that Suzana Rodrigues didn’t hesitate to take. After a 20-year career, she has traded in her computer for mixers, fan ovens, and rolling mills to create healthy, tasty products. This year, the entrepreneur opened her own establishment in Miami Beach, aptly named The Love Loaf.
Address: 7415 Collins Ave, Miami Beach
Contact: (954) 494-5594
Reserve your tickets now!
The 2024 edition of Florida’s best baguette and croissant competition is organized by French Morning in partnership with FAACT, and sponsored by French products importer Paris Gourmet, and its Beurremont butter brand.
