Team Usa Strikes Gold At World Pastry Championship

Team USA has won the 2004 World Pastry Team Championship, and the $50,000 top prize, outscoring teams from Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, the Netherlands, South Korea and Switzerland.

Team USA, captained by Patrice Caillot of the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas, and team members Claude Escamilla and Chris Hanmer, both of the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, outpaced the competition in the Workmanship and Degustation categories.

Team Belgium, (Phillipe Rheau, MOF, Stephane Leroux, MOF, Serge Alexandre) placed second, and Team France (Pascal Caffet, MOF, Phillipe Parc, MOF, Alexandre Gyi-Jacquot, MOF), closely followed in third place.

The event, sponsored by Inniskillin Icewine and presented by CapFruit, is held biennially and is one of the most respected pastry events worldwide because of strict procedures that guarantee impartiality of the judges. This year, the panel of degustation judges, one from each competing country, was located in a room outside of the competition arena so that they would be completely isolated from the teams submitting required confections for evaluation.

Judging of the competition is based on three elements: Artistry (creativity and interpretation of the theme), and Workmanship (kitchen procedure and hygiene) each contribute 30 per cent to the total score. Degustation (taste, flavor innovation and compatibility), accounts for 40 percent.

An audience of 1,800 from 14 countries, along with Food Network (USA) cameras, was present for the event that was themed Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. Teams South Korea and France were encouraged by vocal and ebullient cheering sections that captured quite a bit of amused attention from the spectators and attending press.

Best Chocolate Showpiece was awarded to Team Belgium for their graceful, fluid rendition of flying fish among waves and aquatic fronds.

Best Sugar Showpiece was bestowed upon Team South Korea (Jeong Young-Teak, Jeong Chan-Woong, Kim Young-Hoon ), who impressed the judges and audience with a composition that featured a highly detailed dragon which represented the product of human imagination.

Team Switzerland was accorded Best Team Spirit in acknowledgement of Team Manager Franz Zieglers last minute substitution for hospitalized Team Captain Urs Regli.

Team USA was also awarded Best Degustation.