The grand final of the Amateur Macaron competition will be held next Saturday, May 21 at pastry chef Denis Matyasy’s La Crau laboratory, who is co-organizer of this competition since 2013.
The big news this edition is that there are candidates from France but also from Canada and Italy, since Christophe Morel from Montreal and the school Hangar 78 in Venice have joined the list of hosts of this event, giving the contest a more international dimension.

On the day of the competition, the candidates must present ten home-made macaroons, different than those presented at the semi-final, and made in three hours before the watchful eye of a jury, presided by Christophe Felder, and composed of Mercotte, director of the competition since 2012; Lilian Bonnefoi, pastry chef at l’Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes; Jérôme de Oliveira, winner of the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie 2009; Eric Bergon, pastry chef at Gateaux de famille in Cavalaire, Marc Ducobu, pâtissier chocolatier at Waterloo in Belgium; Gilbert Vissian, maître restaurateur of the African Queen in Beaulieu sur Mer; Jean Jacques Russo, winner of the first national final in 2012, and the MOFs Angelo Musa, Philippe Segond, and Gérard Gautheron. Ten great professionals who especially value appearance, consistency, flavor, aroma, and the originality of the macaroons.

The 13 candidates are:

• Olivier Chupin (first place in Nantes)
• Catherine Martinon (first place in Saint Gervais)
• Alexandra Camilleri (first place in Niza)
• Mélissa Pilon (first place in Montreal)
• Agathe Becquart (first place in Paris)
• Gilles Simond (first place in La Crau)
• Fadila Aberkane (first place in Lyon)
• Laëtitia Azema (first place in Bergerac)
• Marie Bouttevin (first place in Val D’Isère)
• Patrick Mouilleron (first place in Metz)
• Victoria Ferrari (first place in Venecia)
• Elisabeth Lesaffre (first place in Vannes)
• Pascal Rondin (first place in Montélimar)