Newly crowned world's best pastry chef stays true to artisan roots

At one of his patisseries in Paris, Benoit Castel, the newly crowned world's best pastry chef, was busy testing new recipes. The 54-year-old, known for his salt-and-pepper hair, had returned to his usual routine as an artisan-retailer after being named World Confectioner of the Year by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners (UIBC) last month. Castel is passionate about his mission to provide the world with the finest confectionery every day for his customers.

Having several establishments in Paris, Castel adheres to his motto: "It's all about the product." Three years after Nina Metayer, another French pastry chef, received the award, Castel, hailing from Brittany in western France, received the recognition. "Our work is no trivial matter, every day we make things that people put into their bodies," Castel remarked, emphasizing the importance of the food he creates.

The pastry shop's glass cases displayed various pastries, including blueberry and raspberry tartlets, cherry clafoutis, and vanilla flans. However, Castel's best-seller was a chocolate choux pastry, which he described as so popular that his customers would protest if it were discontinued. Each of his pastries bore a small, scalloped shortbread biscuit, a tribute to his Brittany roots, as he shunned the use of colorings or bits of gold or silver leaf.

Castel's devotion to his craft stems from his farming background. The grandson of farmers, he grew up assisting his grandparents in making their own butter. His mother and grandmother were also accomplished cooks. At the age of seven, Castel decided he wanted to become a chef, receiving his first recipe book from his grandmother.

It was watching a pastry chef form a model of the famed Loire Valley Chateau de Chambord out of sugar during a dinner three years prior that solidified Castel's decision to pursue pastry-making. "The funny thing with this profession is that it's the product that dictates the recipe," he explained enthusiastically in his kitchen, which opens onto the shop and dining room, a popular spot for brunch.

Working alongside his head baker, Romain Montbabut, Castel tests new recipes daily. Montbabut, who has been working with Castel for six years, described him as a demanding individual with a slight perfectionist side that they both appreciate. Castel collaborates with artists to create Yule logs, pushing them to explore new ideas and techniques.

With his daughter Margot by his side, Castel plans to open a new venue in Paris in September, combining elements of a café, restaurant, and bakery-patisserie. Today, he considers himself not only a pastry chef but also a cook, gardener, and baker.