Xavier Netry wins the Grand Prix de la Baguette de la Ville de Paris and becomes the Élysée's supplier for a year.
The news
Xavier Netry's magic wand is a baguette; the baguette that crowned him the winner of the 31st edition of the Grand Prix de la Baguette de la Ville de Paris, as reported by France Tv info. For over three decades, the Syndicat des Boulangers-Pâtissiers du Grand Paris has been inviting the best bakers of the City of Light to compete and showcase their talent in making the iconic French bread, which since 2022 has been recognized as intangible heritage by UNESCO.
Among the 173 baguettes presented, Xavier's, the owner of Utopie, his bakery in the 11th arrondissement, conquered the jury composed of six randomly chosen Parisians, an assistant, and two professionals. To be admitted to the judges' evaluation, the baguettes had to meet certain characteristics: a length between 50 and 55 cm, a weight between 250 and 270 grams, and a salt content of 16.8 grams per kilogram of flour. The judging criteria were five: quality of baking, taste, crumb texture, alveolation, and appearance. Originally from Guadeloupe, at 37 years old, after a career of twenty years, Monsieur Netry, stepping onto the highest step of the podium, won a prize of 4,000 euros, but, above all, a year's supply of bread for the Élysée Palace.
In addition to thanking everyone who supported him on social media, Xavier revealed to Le Monde the recipe for his fragrant Baguette: "Good yeast, proper dough maturation, love, passion, and perseverance," also disclosing two ingredients that are no longer secrets: "banana and lemon, which I mix with flour and water and let ferment for a long time," he explains.
Under the photo where Xavier proudly displays his exquisite baguette as if it were a sword, the king of Parisian bakers writes: "I am deeply honored and grateful to have won the prize for the best baguette in Paris. This success would not have been possible without your unwavering support, encouragement, and the trust you place in me."
