At the gates of the experimental orchard of Andros which covers 15 hectares, just opposite the company’s workshops in Biars, an incredible pastry, chocolate and confectionery competition took place.
Throughout the day on Saturday, under a radiant sun, eight students and apprentices in training from all over France competed in the final of this “Fruits de talent Andros Chef” competition. A great event that thrilled these future professionals, encouraging them in their culinary passion, under the seasoned and benevolent eyes of a very high-end jury chaired by Davy Tissot, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and Bocuse d’Or 2021.
Souvenir photo bringing together the organizers of Andros, the pastry chefs and the contest participants.
“The second edition of this competition is being held today. Our company wanted to make this event a great celebration, a moment of shared pleasure, by welcoming these young pastry chefs and their coaches to our Andros orchard. the theme of citrus fruits that we have oriented this 2022 competition, in order to highlight the naturalness of the fruit”, slipped Maxime Gervoson, general manager of Andros France.
The young people in training worked for 5 hours, in front of an impressed audience.
Davy Tissot, Bocuse d’Or: “These are 5 hours of very intense competition”
While the future chefs were busy under the marquee set up for the occasion cooking their preparations, refining their blends, watching over the smallest detail of the recipe that would make the difference, Andros employees could come and admire the technique of these young finalists. “Proposing a pastry competition allows students to broaden their field of action and get out of their comfort zone. Preparing for it requires a lot of work, but it is also 5 hours of very intense competitions where luck also has its place on D-Day”, underlined Davy Tissot, observing the mastery and application of the finalists.
The excellence of French pastry was present, including Davy Tissot, president of the jury (right).
To stand out, each of them had to propose four recipes to present to the jury: a dessert, a confectionery, a travel cake and an individual dessert. All while wonderfully sublimating the fruit, thanks to the “Andros Chef” range of products. “These are 100% fruit ingredients, reveals Pierre Emmanuel Bardon, marketing manager, fruity references that Andros has prepared for pastry and catering professionals, with the requirement of all-natural products consisting of only four ingredients: fruit , sugar, pectin and lemon juice, and without any flavouring”.
Andros chef, a range created 5 years ago
These Andros Chef products have enabled the company to position itself in a new activity, launched only 5 years ago. “Our desire, intervenes Maxime Gervoson, was to meet the needs of pastry chefs, ice cream makers, chocolate makers and confectioners, while aiming for product excellence, thanks to an exclusive range of fruit purées, compotes with pieces, fruit semi-candied… We learned alongside the professionals, it made us grow, today we have their backing. But we remain humble and continue to move forward”.
The three winners on the podium.
This know-how of Andros, the young pastry chefs were able to put in the spotlight during this competition coordinated by Valérie Pollet-Viguier, marketing manager of Andros with partners, chefs and schools. Both the participants and the members of the jury underlined the sincerity of the welcome and the friendliness of the Andros teams. Davy Tissot evoking: “The family spirit inscribed in this company and in this competition”, so dear to Frédéric Gervoson, the CEO of the international group who greeted all “these young talents who bring wonderful development to pastry”.
Sylvain Martel and his pupil Kelly
The winners of the “Fruits de talent Andros Chef” contest
It is the young Mélanie Hours who wins the first Andros Chef prize, awarded by Frédéric Gervoson, CEO of the group and Solveig Hoyaux (Rhône), winner last year and Best apprentice in France 2022 in pastry. The winner is a student of SEPR Lyon; she was supported by her trainer Sandy Violand.
Méline Ardoin from CFA Ploufragan won 2nd prize, with her coach Thomas Friquard; Bérénice Vanvincq from IRFMA Nîmes, the 3rd, she was helped by Jordan Joro, pastry chef in Miers.
A Cahors CFA student wins a special prize
Finally, three special prizes were awarded. The special prize Complementary mention to Kelly Barraud (26 years old) from the Cahors CFA and her teacher Sylvain Martel. The young Lotoise would like to continue her studies with a BTM (technical trades certificate). “The jury was great, some gave us advice. It was very nice, but this first competition is a lot of stress and a hell of a dose of adrenaline. We had a great day and we even visited the Andros factory following the whole journey of the fruit”, she confided to us. The young finalist notably presented to the jury a yuzu and Quercy walnut cake, a chestnut mandarin and hazelnut entremets.
The Coup de coeur Andros prize goes to Coline Liard of the MFR du Balan, the youngest of the event. And the special entremets prize to Lucie Monetti from the CFA Laxou.
The president of the National Association of pastry trainers, Jean-Charles Balthazard presented Sandy Violand with the ANFP trophy. The young trainer has twice seen her two candidates win the “Fruits de talent Andros Chef” competition in 2021 and 2022. “I was very moved by your attitude, you were like your student’s big sister. You are the symbol of what training is”, he told him, specifying that the association wishes “to put ice sculpture back in the training of young people”.