Pastry Live Weekend-1st National Showpiece Championship, Chocolatier of the Year and More a Success

Sept. 2, 2011 - PRLog -- From Friday, August 26th - Sunday, August 28th, Pastry Live hosted the first annual Pastry Live Weekend. Friday and Saturday featured seminars held by some of the best pastry artists in the industry, while Sunday was jam-packed with competitions in which competitors from across the country displayed their extraordinary talents.

On Friday and Saturday, M.O.F. Stephane Tréand impressed seminar attendees with his incredible airbrushing techniques and sugar showpiece creations. Chef Jean-Marie Auboine also demonstrated how to create various candies and other sweet treats, finishing his class with a final candy buffet display. Combining their pulled sugar and cake sculpting abilities, Chef Susan Notter and Karen Portaleo delighted the crowd with not only their finished display cakes, but also through the humor and chemistry they shared during their presentation.  

On Sunday, the day began with some of America’s leading pastry chefs competing for the title of National Showpiece Champions. In the Art of Cake Challenge, cake artists throughout Georgia came to show off their sculpting skills with cakes inspired by works of art. While all of the cakes displayed did justice to their respective art inspirations, the winner was Sugarplum Vision’s Katharina Craine. Soon to follow was the Chocolatier of the Year competition, where nine of the top chocolatiers from across the country competed to win this coveted title. Some truly delicious chocolates were presented, but the winner of the prestigious award was Chef Lionel Clement of Nuubia Chocolat. Chef David Ramirez of Cocoa Latte came out on top as the crowd favorite though, winning the Audience Choice Award.

Controversy abounded within the National Showpiece Championship competition as judges deliberated well past their allotted time. The suspense was ended though with the announcement of Chefs Andy Chlebana and Nancy Carey as the winners of not only the title of National Showpiece Champions, but also of the Best Chocolate Showpiece. Chefs Heather Hurlbert and Natasha Capper were also awarded the Best Sugar Showpiece while Chefs Jim Mullaney and David Ramirez’s chocolate showpiece was chosen by the audience for the People’s Choice Award. Chefs Tracy DeWitt and David Smoake were voted by their peers for the Competitor’s choice award for their sugar showpiece inspired by their trip through the Grand Canyon.

All those present for the event expressed their enjoyment and satisfaction with the entire weekend and plans for next year are already in progress.

For more details about Pastry Live, please contact Chef Paul Bodrogi at chef@pastrylive.com or 678.881.9490. Further information is also available on our website at www.pastrylive.com.