Benoit Castel wins World Confectioner of the Year

Benoit Castel, a Paris-based French pastry chef, has been named World Confectioner of the Year by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners, while keeping his focus on daily work in his shops.

The 54-year-old received the UIBC award on July 14 in Singapore. The award is presented annually to a leading figure in the profession in recognition of their career and contribution to the trade.

Castel runs several establishments in Paris and describes himself as an “artisan-retailer”. He said his aim was to be “the world champion every day” in his shop for his customers.

His pastries include tartlets, cherry clafoutis, vanilla flans and a chocolate choux pastry that he described as his best-seller. He decorates each pastry with a small scalloped shortbread biscuit as a reference to Brittany, where he is from.

Castel worked with chef Helene Darroze, at Hotel Costes and at La Grande Epicerie de Paris before setting out on his own in 2012. He later developed breads including “pain du coin” and an anti-waste bread made from the previous day’s unsold stock.

Alongside his daughter Margot, Castel is set to open a new venue in Paris in September combining a cafe, restaurant and bakery-patisserie.