2014 Edition
2014 Charles Proust Relais Desserts Competition
As a showcase for real talent, this celebrated biennial competition duly lived up to its reputation at the 20th Salon du Chocolat highlighting its share of future talent…
The Japanese chef Tatsuya Onishi was named winner of the Relais Desserts Charles Proust Competition 2014!
Photos © Studio des Fleurs
Tatsuya Onishi with Frédéric Cassel (on the left), president of Relais Desserts, and Pit Oberweis (on the right), honorary president and former president of Relais Desserts who worked to redesign the competition.
The Relais Desserts Association and Grand Marnier named him the Grand Prix winner of this 5th edition held on October 29 during the Salon du Chocolat in Paris… which was celebrating its 20th anniversary!
The prestigious international competition also aroused the interest of the general public who came in huge numbers to attend the event.
Tatsuya Onishi, from the Motomachi Patisserie in Kobe (Japan), won the final of the competition by showing of his talent and skills from among the 14 candidates competing from France, Belgium, Italy and even Japan to present their creations to the expert jury chaired this year by Jean-Paul Hévin.
Thanks also to Nicolas Boussin (MOF) –who with the support of Grand Marnier has brought the competition has come back to life – and Tatsuya Onishi.
The candidates expressed their creativity by producing an artistic piece on the theme “Dalí and his work”. They offered an unusual tasting on the theme of praline chocolate cake with a note of Grand Marnier liqueur. The prize was awarded to the candidate with the highest number of points given for tasting and artistic appearance. Innovation and originality were also important criteria in the rating.
From left to right, the three prizes of this 2014 edition: Étienne Leroy (3rd prize), Tatsuya Onishi (1st prize) and Seiji Takishima (2nd prize).
From left to right: Frédéric Cassel, Jean-Paul Hévin (President of this edition’s jury), Étienne Leroy and Marc Sorrel-Déjerine, Director of the Wines & Gastronomy Department at Grand Marnier.
The candidates together with the members of the jury.
The competition was very close because, in the eyes of the jury, all the creations presented by the young pastry chefs were of high quality, both in terms of taste and artistic presentation.
Detail of the work of Tatsuya Onishi, winner of the Relais Desserts Charles Proust Competition 2014.
Tatsuya Onishi’s dessert.
The winners of the Relais Desserts Charles Proust 2014 Competition:
1 – Tatsuya Onishi, from the Motomachi Patisserie in Kobe
2 – Seiji Takishima, Imperial Hotel in Tokyo
3 – Étienne Leroy, from the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc in Antibes
The Prize for the most beautiful artistic piece was awarded to Étienne Leroy, from the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc in Antibes.
The Tasting Prize for Florian Gruffat, from the Pascal Caffet patisserie in Troyes.
The Press Prize for Damien Benetot, from the Benetot patisseris in Dole.
The General Public Prize for Fabrice Pleinchene (in one), from the Higher National Patisserie School in Yssingeaux.
Detail of the work of Seiji Takishima, second prize.
Details of Seiji Takishima’s dessert.
Étienne Leroy’s dessert, third prize.
Detail of the work of Étienne Leroy, who also won Prize for the most beautiful artistic piece.
Detail of Florian Gruffat’s dessert, Taste Prize.
Detail of Damien Benetot’s dessert, Press Prize.
Dalí and his work (detail) by Fabrice Pleinchene, General Public Prize.
Details of Fabrice Pleinchene’s dessert.