Actus des entreprises • Evènements • Membres
Le Pain Baguette Championship 2023 Final Round Was Successfully Held on October 30th in Seoul
- Admission statement for a young and capable baker
- With the cooperation of Business France, French Embassy in Korea, contributing to cultural exchange between Korean and France, it becomes a competition
- The winner have received training opportunities in France, trophies, medals, awarded with generous prizes including certification marks
At the occasion of Le Pain Baguette Championship 2023, members of the FKCCI and of our F&B Committee, Grands Moulins de Paris, along with the Korean distributor, Bake Plus, have sponsored the competition by providing premium French flours as well as prizes for the winners. In a context where the French baguette has gotten its UNESCO World Heritage status this year, this competition is a great opportunity to promote French bakery in Korea and to connect the French Korean community in the country.
Grands Moulins de Paris (GMP) is a renowned French flour company oriented towards healthier and more responsible products. Since their settlement, GMP benefits from FKCCI's services as an umbrella company for their legal structure in South Korea and from a shared office space at our business center for their expatriate workers. If you wish to know more about business services provided by the FKCCI, contact us at welcome(@)fkcci.com.
Purpose of the event
Le Pain Co., Ltd (CEO Lim Tae-eon) is holding the Le Pain Baguette championship 2023 to foster young and capable bakers in Korea. The Le Pain Baguette championship hosted by Le Pain began in 2018. This competition, now in its 4th year, has been reborn as a prestigious competition, contributing to cultural exchange between Korea and France with the cooperation of Business France, French Embassy in Korea.
This contest is run with the purpose of selecting bakers with a passion for bread and skills and providing them with an opportunity to pursue their dreams. Furthermore, it aims to contribute to creating public awareness and a mature culture for the Korean bakery industry and bread.
Progress schedule
The application period was accepted online (Le Pain Baguette championship official website/ lepainbaguette.co.kr) from August 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023, and the first round was held on September 6, 2023 (Location : Le Pain Culinary Academy), the second round was held on October 11, 2023 (Location : Le Pain Culinary Academy), the final round was held on October 30, 2023 (Location : Bakery Monpin).
In the round 1, 10 finalists have been selected by receiving baguettes, and in the second round, 3 finalists have been selected through an on-site demonstration. The final round was a public demonstration and judging at the “Food Experience” site (October 30, Seokparang, Stone Hill, Bakery café monpin) hosted by Business France, French Embassy in Korea. The winner selection, announcement, and awards have been held simultaneously on the day of the finals.
Operation method, judging regulations, judges
Participants are related businesses such as bakeries, cafés, bakery cafes, and restaurants that operate stores in Seoul as of 2023. One baker representing each business has participated and competed in a bread competition with the theme of baguettes, the basis of bread. The baguettes to be submitted directly to the first round are made from flour, water, salt, and commercial yeast (homemade yeast is acceptable), weigh 300-350g, have a length of 50-60cm, and have 2 each of 4-5 diagonal cups and 1-sqare cups. In principle, a total of 4 submissions are required. From the second round, demonstrations and judging has been conducted on site using French flour and salt provided by Le Pain partners.
Sponsors
This competition is jointly sponsored by leading French food and beverage companies such as Air France, BONGARD & Dae-Ah Sangkyo, Grands Moulins de Paris & Bakeplus, Grotech E&C, Guerande & Jeje Park, and Beot, and is a venue for exchange of Korean and French food culture. It is not an audition to simply select first place, but to let bakers with skills and dreams shine. It targeted the Seoul area in 2023 but is scheduled to expand nationwide in the future. It is the site of a festival where not only bakery officials but also the bread-loving public can enjoy together and make life healthy and happy with the scent of bread.
Winner benefits & Names
1rst-place Winner: Flour Bakery Cafe (플라워베이커리)
The first-place winner has received a winner’s trophy, a round-trip ticket to France (AIRFRANCE), a training opportunity at the French pastry school EBP (École de Boulangerie Pâtisserie de Paris) (provided by Grands Moulins de Paris & Bakeplus), and a Wilpa Pro Baker confectionery worth 2 million won. A bread dough machine (provided by GROTEC) has been awarded.
2nd-place Winner: Hafen City (항구도시연구소)
The second-place winner has received a winner’s medal, a training opportunity at the French pastry school EBP (École de Boulangerie Pâtisserie de Paris) (provided by Grands Moulins de Paris & Bakeplus) and a Wilpa Pro Baker confectionery worth 2 million won.
3rd-place Winner: Oursblanc (우스블랑)
The third-place winner has received a winner’s medal and a Wilpa Pro Baker confectionery worth 2 million won.
Then, the top 10 best baguettes were selected and officially announced, and the BEST BAGUETTE certification mark was awarded!
Learn more about the competition and the winners of this 2023 edition here: 르빵 바게트 챔피언십 (lepainbaguette.co.kr)
Overview of Lepain Co., Ltd.
Le Pain Co., Ltd. Started as a neighborhood bakery at Seokchon Lake in Jamsil, Seoul in 2009 and has established itself as a brand of love and trust through its philosophy on bread, sincerity toward customers, and consistent research and development. Currently, we have successfully launched Bakery “Le Pain” (Songpa main branch, Myeongdong Cathedral branch) and a large-scale bakery café monpin in the Seokparang building, a tangible cultural asset of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and are operating the Le Pain Culinary Academy and R&D center, taking the lead in educational business and technology development. We are growing into a comprehensive company in the field of healthy bread, desserts, and biofood, which are the core of our eating habits.
