They turned up as complete outsiders, fighting jet lag, stress and 18 competing teams. Ten hours later, they were at the very top of the junior pastry world, chocolate smeared on their jackets and disbelief written all over their faces.
Mathis and Samuel Anstett: twin brothers from an Alsace village who took on the world
The latest junior pastry world champions are not celebrity chefs from Paris or Tokyo. They are Mathis and Samuel Anstett, twins from Zimmersheim, a village near Mulhouse in eastern France. They were raised side by side, learned the craft together, and now hold the same world title.
They claimed gold at Sigep 2026 in Rimini - one of the most demanding and technically exacting contests on the professional pastry circuit. Staged in Italy every two years, it draws emerging talent from every continent for a punishing run of challenges where hesitation is costly.
The championship allowed only ten hours for the full programme, forcing each team to balance speed with absolute precision.
On 20 January, the Anstett brothers entered the competition kitchen before first light. From that point, the clock was relentless: ten hours - no extra minutes - to conceive and deliver a complete pastry set capable of persuading an international jury.
A challenge built on coffee, sourdough and a 1.20‑metre chocolate showpiece
The junior world championship brief is unforgiving in its range. Teams must prove technique, originality, structure and flavour across formats that demand very different skills. For Mathis and Samuel, the day played out like a tightly rehearsed sprint.
The four centrepieces they had to create
- A fully vegan coffee cake
- A French-inspired street food dessert
- A breakfast product based on sourdough
- A 1.20-metre artistic chocolate showpiece
Their vegan coffee cake forced them to work without butter, cream or eggs - the fundamentals of classic French patisserie. Even so, the textures still needed to feel light and generous, and the coffee flavour had to stay clean and layered rather than harsh.
The France-inspired street food dessert demanded the opposite: something you could eat with your hands, yet still present as polished and elegant on a judging table. Picture a pastry somewhere between a gourmet éclair and a festival treat - portable, but precisely built.
The sourdough breakfast item tested a slower, more patient discipline: controlled fermentation, the right tension between acidity and sweetness, and a crumb that remains soft instead of heavy. Here, judges assess technical understanding just as much as taste.
The centrepiece, a 1.20‑metre chocolate sculpture, had to stay perfectly stable while lights, heat and nerves worked against it.
That towering chocolate build is where many teams watch weeks of preparation fail - sometimes literally. A single crack, a section tempered poorly, and the piece can lean or break. The Anstett twins spent months drilling the routine until every movement became second nature.
Beating 18 international teams, including Asia’s rising stars
In Rimini, 19 junior teams made it through to the final. Each one represented the strongest outcome from its national or regional selection. Among the favourites were highly regarded teams from South Korea and China, both recognised for rigorous training systems and remarkably consistent execution.
Under the guidance of French pastry chef Alexis Beaufils, the twins ran their ten hours like a relay. One drove the vegan cake towards finish quality while the other shaped the sourdough items; then they switched without losing time. That shared training proved a genuine advantage under pressure.
The jury singled out the French pair for their measured pace and clear organisation. While some teams panicked in the closing stretch, the twins remained steady, refining finishes and textures right up to the deadline.
The judges highlighted the “coherence” of their work: flavours, textures and aesthetics seemed to speak the same language.
On the podium, South Korea and China stood alongside France, a sign of how fierce the field has become. For many watching in Rimini, the French win also suggested that traditional pastry nations must push harder to stay ahead of rapidly progressing Asian teams.
From TV contestants to established talent
French audiences may already recognise the Anstett brothers. They previously featured on M6’s “Le Meilleur Pâtissier: Les Professionnels”, where pairs of pastry chefs compete under studio lights in front of celebrity judges. During the series, their easy rapport and well-practised four-hands approach made them stand out.
TV exposure brought visibility, but a world championship delivers something else entirely: validation from technicians and industry professionals. Sigep is closely followed by hotel groups, luxury boutiques and restaurateurs looking for the next wave of talent.
Now the twins are dealing with a surge of invitations, from placements abroad to partnerships with established pastry houses. For two young chefs only just beginning their careers, that influx can be both a door opening and a test of discipline.
What this win changes for them
| Before Rimini | After Rimini |
|---|---|
| Known mainly in France through TV | Spotted internationally by chefs and recruiters |
| Working under established mentors | Approached for consulting, masterclasses and events |
| Short‑term career plans in Alsace | Real options for projects abroad or branded boutiques |
Alsace’s pastry heritage meets a new generation
In Alsace, food tradition is deeply rooted: kougelhopf, bredele Christmas biscuits, flammekueche and generous tartes all form part of the region’s identity. Winning a modern international competition with vegan and street‑food desserts seems, at first glance, far removed from that image.
The Anstett brothers, however, see it as continuity rather than conflict. They were raised around those classic recipes and still draw from them. Spices associated with Christmas biscuits can surface again in a contemporary entremet; the silhouette of a kougelhopf can influence a mould for a plated dessert.
Their victory shows that regional pastry can evolve without losing its roots, blending heritage with global trends like vegan and street‑style formats.
For Alsace, the title also sends a message to apprentices and local schools: you do not have to head straight for Paris or London to aim for worldwide recognition. Intense training, strong mentorship and ambition can begin in a village kitchen.
The quiet advantage of being twins in a high‑pressure kitchen
In a competition environment, being twins is not just a curiosity - it changes how they operate. Years of sharing chores, sport and schoolwork become a near wordless language at the bench.
Across the ten-hour final, they scarcely needed to talk. A look told the other when to pull a tray; a small motion meant “I’ll take the glaze, you finish the moulds”. That smooth handover saves seconds, and it also keeps stress and friction down.
In elite kitchens, disagreements often surface as tiredness builds. The Anstett brothers have already worked through those tensions countless times in everyday life, so they can reset fast and keep going.
Lessons ambitious home bakers can steal from a world championship
You do not need a professional kitchen to take something useful from Rimini. Several principles behind the winning performance translate well to everyday baking at home.
- Plan backwards from the deadline: decide when every component must be finished, then build your timetable from the end back to the start.
- Repeat one recipe until the actions feel automatic: practice frees your attention for corrections and finesse, rather than just getting through the steps.
- Build flavours around one clear theme: as the brothers did with coffee, pick a central note and layer textures and aromas around it.
- Turn constraints into creative momentum: a vegan or gluten-free brief can steer you towards new ingredients and methods.
For anyone unfamiliar with the vocabulary, a “showpiece” in patisserie is a largely inedible artistic construction made from sugar, chocolate or pastillage. It exists to demonstrate sculpting skill, balance and finish rather than to provide portions. Judges assess stability, shine, tidy joins and an overall story in the forms.
Vegan pastry - another core requirement in this championship - uses plant-based fats and proteins to replicate the functions of butter, cream and eggs. That can involve aquafaba (chickpea water) for meringues, oat or almond cream for ganaches, and oils or nut butters instead of traditional dairy. When executed properly, the texture and richness can rival classic French recipes without feeling like a compromise.
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