The smell of warm bread hangs in the air at one of Benoît Castel's patisseries in Paris, where the newly crowned world's best pastry chef was hard at work testing new recipes.
His fingers covered in cookie dough, the 54-year-old with salt-and-pepper hair had returned to his usual routine as an "artisan-retailer" after the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners (UIBC) named him World Confectioner of the Year last month.
"I have a mission: to be the world champion every day in my shop for my customers," he said, eyes twinkling.
At the helm of several establishments in Paris, Castel has never strayed from his motto: "It's all about the product."
Three years after fellow French pastry chef Nina Metayer was crowned champion, Castel received the UIBC award presented annually to a leading figure in the profession in recognition of their career and contribution to the trade on July 14th in Singapore.
