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The founder Gabriel Paillasson
Gabriel PAILLASSON was born on July the 30th 1947 in Feurs (Loire Department),. Graduated in 1964, Paillasson worked for several establishments in Lyons before setting up his own pastry shop in 1973 near Lyons.
Pastry MOF 1972 and Ice Cream in 1976 he is to date the only professional in his field to have been awarded twice MOF by the age of 29.
Gabriel Paillasson has trained 25 apprentices, of whom 2 have won the MOF.
He also took in many trainees from France and all over the world, of whom 37 have become Pastry Chefs and MOF too.
Since 1970, Gabriel Paillasson has won over 300 national and international awards, including 60 Gold Medals and 13 Grand Prix. The Culinary Trophy Best Chef of the Year in 1982, 19and 7 Gold gold medals at the Frankfurt Cuisine & Pastry Olympics.
Gabriel Paillasson books “Le feu sucré” in 1990, “Grand Prix Auteur” by the French National Cuisine Academy. “L’Art Ephémère”-1995- “1996 Grand Prix Editeur” of the French National Cuisine Academy. World Pastry Cup 10th Anniversary in 199, – Passion Paques in 2003 – and finally – 30-Years of the World Pastry Cup in 2019.
Elected National President of the Ice-cream Craftsmen in 1999 as well as French National Confederation of Desserts and Confectionery president he was re-elected in 2004 and 2007.
Gabriel Paillasson is Founding-President of several competitions, including the World Pastry Cup.
Since 1997, he is aslo the Founding President of the National Association of MOF in dessert professions.
Gabriel Paillasson was Knighted with the “Légion d’Honneur in 1994” Officer of the Order of Academic Palms in 1999, Officer of the National Order of Merit in 2002.
World Pastry Cup
In 1989, the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie (World Pastry Cup) was created under the impetus of the “Meilleurs Ouvriers de France” (MOF) pastry and ice-creams, with the support of the U.I.P.G.G. and the “Société Nationale des MOF”, as part of the “Salon des Métiers de Bouche de Lyon” – Sirha, which became Sirha Lyon in 2020.
From the outset, 12 nations were represented for a team competition, made up of 3 professionals (pastry chef, chocolatier, ice-cream maker). Each team has 10 hours to complete a series of tests in front of the public, designed to test each country’s technique and excellence in the art of pastry-making.
In 1991, the Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie was created and became the owner of the event as well as the custodian of the INPI trademark, headed by the competition’s founding president Gabriel Paillasson.
After a number of changes, leading to the creation of continental selections and the introduction of new events – plated desserts, ice lollies, restaurant desserts, etc. – the famous pastry chef Pierre Hermé took the presidency of the competition in 2021.
Every two years in January, the Grand Final of the Pastry World Cup brings together 20 countries from all over the world after a cycle of 4 continental selections: the European Cup, the Americas Cup, the Asia-Pacific Cup and the Africa Cup.
The next edition of this prestigious international competition will take place on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 January 2025 at Eurexpo Lyon as part of Sirha Lyon.