French duo win Bake Off: The Professionals 2020

Laurian Veaudor and Thibault Courtoisier from Cocorico Patisserie in Cardiff have been crowned this year’s winners after narrowly missing out in 2017

Laurian Veaudor and Thibault Courtoisier have been crowned the winners of this year’s Bake Off: The Professionals. The French duo from Cocorico Patisserie in Cardiff beat Domenico and Alessandra from Park Plaza Westminster Bridge and Clanny and Ryan from The Ivy after narrowly missing out on victory when they appeared on Bake Off: Crème de la Crème in 2017.

Laurian and Thibault’s creations in the season five final, which saw the teams making edible hats made from chocolate to be worn by models in a fashion show followed by an epic seven-hour challenge to create a historic banquet for 80 guests, impressed judges Benoit Blin, Chef Patissier at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, and Cherish Finden, Executive Chef at The Langham in London, who particularly praised their coffee éclairs and sourdough mousse and declared them the winners.

“After we won I hugged Thibault and we were both so happy,” Laurian said. “You don’t know how you are going to feel until it happens, it’s not just a competition, it’s a statement of years of hard work in the catering industry and it’s so good to be recognised.”

Owner Laurian originally hails from the village of Suze La Rousse in Drôme and always wanted to be a pastry chef. In 2010 he opened Cocorico Patisserie on Whitchurch Road in Cardiff, which he first visited more than 20 years ago. When he met Thibault a few years later he offered him a job and the two Frenchmen have been a successful team ever since. Quick to adapt to the ‘new normal’ they set up a click-and-collect online service when they reopened the patisserie in May after being forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic, and now have lots of exciting plans for the future. These include developing new products and Laurian is also looking forward to hosting pastry classes from his home for small groups of up to five people. He hopes to start online initially and then move to classes in the New Year depending on the coronavirus situation and rules.

While The Great British Bake Off is filmed at Welford Park in Berkshire, Bake Off: The Professionals, which is hosted by comedian Tom Allen and former Great British Bake Off contestant Liam Charles, is filmed on a specially created kitchen set in the converted stables of stately home Firle Place in Lewes. The final banquet was served to the contestants’ family and friends at Firle Place’s Great Hall while the bakers waited for the judges to choose their winners.
cocoricopatisserie.co.uk

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