The UK contestants for the next World Pastry Cup have been announced, with president Martin Chiffers, executive pastry chef at London's Savoy hotel, leading the team.
The prestigious biennial competition, known as La Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, which takes place in Lyon, France, sees 20 countries from around the world compete for the title.
The UK will be represented by Javier Mercado, pastry lecturer at Westminster College, and Nicolas Bouhelier (pictured), pastry sous chef at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.
Both chefs recently competed in the inaugural UK Pastry Open, in which Bouhelier was named the overall winner for his chocolate display piece and dessert and Mercado won the award for the best sugar sculpture.
The UK team will now compete at the European final of the Coupe du Monde, which will take place in Paris next March. There the team will have to rank in the top three to ensure qualification to the world final in Lyon in January 2013.
Each team will have to present a buffet including three chocolate desserts, three frozen fruit desserts, an ice sculpture, a chocolate sculpture, a sculpture made from drawn sugar and a dessert on a plate.
La Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie was started in 1989 by Gabriel Paillasson, who, inspired by Paul Bocuse creating the Bocuse d'Or, wanted to launch a similar high-profile contest for pâtisserie chefs.
The UK was placed ninth in the competition earlier this year, after being represented for the first time since 2003.
Le Manoir's Nicolas Bouhelier wins inaugural UK Pastry Open >>
La Coupe de Monde seeks pastry chefs for 2013 competition >>
Bocuse d'Or and Coupe du Monde round up >>
By Kerstin Kühn
E-mail your comments to Kerstin Kühn here.
If you have something to say on this story or anything else join the debate at Table Talk - Caterer's new networking forum. Go to www.catererandhotelkeeper.com/tabletalk
Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs
Looking for a new job? Find your next job here with Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs
E-newsletters
For the latest hospitality news, sign up for our E-newsletters