The Valrhona Pâtisserie Championship 2009

Ludovic Lantier, Pastry Chef at The Ritz Carlton, wins the first ever Valrhona Pâtisserie Championship.

Ludovic Lantier, pastry sous chef at The Ritz Carlton, Powerscourt, is the winner of the first Valrhona Pâtisserie Championship 2009, organised by Valrhona Chocolate and Odaios Foods. Ludovic's recipe Degustation of Alpaco & Taïnori with Redcurrant was chosen out of the six finalists who competed in D.I.T. Cathal Brugha Street Tuesday, 23rd of June.

The jury, presided by Frederic Cordonnier, head chef of the Shelbourne Hotel, also included Hugo Arnold, food writer, Benoit Lorge, chocolatier of Lorge Chocolates and Paul Kelly, head pastry chef of the Merrion Hotel. The competition was overseen by Andrew Gravett, pastry chef from l’Ecole du Grand Chocolat Valrhona.

The objective of the Valrhona Pâtisserie Championship is to promote and advance pastry chefs in Ireland with the long term goal of entering an Irish team in the World Pastry Cup, Coupe de Monde de la Pâtisserie. Valrhona has sponsored and promoted the World Pastry Cup since its 1989 inception.

Through nationwide written submissions six finalists were selected representing Cafe Leon, Sheen Falls Lodge, The Ritz Carlton, The Sheraton Athlone, Ardilaun Hotel and Riverside Restaurant. The competition required each candidate to prepare a plated dessert using a Valrhona couverture of their choice under the theme Summertime. Their dessert also had to include an Irish flower or berry. They each had four hours to complete their dessert and were judged according to their dessert’s presentation, textures and flavour combinations.

Ludovic’s winning recipe contained four Valrhona couvertures, Alpaco 66%, Taïnori 64%, Jivara 40% andIvoire 35%. His summerfruit of choice was redcurrants. As the first winner of the Valrhona Pâtisserie Championship, Ludovic receives a three day Stage in l’Ecole du Grand Chocolat Valrhona in Tain l’Hermitage, France, a tasting menu in Maison Pic, a 3 star Michelin Restaurant in Valence, a copy of Fusion Chocolate by Frederic Bau and some additional culinary extras.